Sunday, July 31, 2011

Pet Responsibilities for Kids

Pets are the perfect way to teach your children about responsibilities. All kids love to have a pet of their own, but to make them actually take care of that pet, feed it or clean after it is a little harder. The secret is to get a pet that is appropriate for your kid’s age. A 4 year old won’t be able to take care of a large dog, but he or she will do better around a guinea pig or a turtle. The right age for entrusting some pet responsibilities for kids is around 4 years of age.

If you already have a family pet, your kid may already be familiar with all the pet related routines: feeding it, walking it, cleaning after it and so on. The next step is to explain to the child that one of those jobs is now their responsibility. Make sure you pick something that your kid can actually do without any danger. Making a small kid clean the cat’s tray, for example, is pretty dangerous. Children put their fingers inside the mouths or in their eyes a lot, so this is probably a better job for an older child. You should let them deal with risk free responsibilities, such as giving fresh water to your family’s pet every day.

The responsibilities can grow with the child. Little by little, you can let your child feed the pet and walk it. Having pets is a great way to make kids not only more responsible, but also empathic to the needs of the others. By nature, kids are pretty selfish, so taking the time to take care of a pet will have a great influence on their personality. You can ask, for example, for your child to pay attention to the pet’s mood and to let you know if the pet seems sad or sick, so the two of you can take it to the vet. This exercise will teach your child a very important lesson – to be sympathetic with other people’s needs and feelings.

For older kids, who want to get their own pet, it’s extremely important to discuss his or her responsibilities, before actually getting the pet. Explain to your kid that a pet is not a toy, and it has to be fed and cleaned after on daily basis. More importantly, make sure your child understands that a pet needs attention and the pet can’t be ignored just because he or she is tired or in a bad mood. If your child is older than six, you should allow them to pick their own pet, whether it’s a dog, a cat or a turtle. But, before the trip to the pet shop, you should take a trip to your local library or bookstore to get a book about that particular pet for your child. Ask your child to read the book and talk to him about the information from the book. Make sure that the children understand all the new pet responsibilities they will have. If your child wants a dog, explain to him that a dog needs to be fed twice a day, have clean water, get daily walks and receive a lot of attention.



Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To find out more about great themes for a baby shower or to shop for chick baby shower theme supplies or some baby shower favors, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Ideas for Noah’s Ark Baby Shower Theme

Noah’s Ark is a very sweet, versatile idea for the baby shower theme. You get to play with lots of animals and boats, so and you can make a lot of decorations based on that theme. This theme is perfect for moms to be expecting a little boy and they intend to name him Noah. You can also organize Noah’s Ark baby theme for ladies who are big animal lovers. The concept from the Noah’s Ark, the animals coming in pairs on the boat, makes this theme suitable when twins are expected. The possibilities are endless: Noah’s Ark cake, foods shaped like little boats, and Noah’s Ark centerpiece.

Foods shaped like little boats
A lot of snacks can be made to look like little boats. You can take, for example, small lettuce leaves (they look like little boats) and fill each one of them with shrimp salad, cream cheese or other type of filling. Also, red peppers make great boats: just cut them in quarters and put inside small bites of hard cheese, bacon and olives. You can cook boat shaped pastries; it’s actually very easy. All you have to do is buy frozen dough, cut the dough in rectangles, put some filling (sweet or salty) inside squeeze the short ends to make it look like a boat. Another idea would be to bake or to buy biscuits shaped like little boats. You can decorate them with chocolate mousse and fruits, for a good looking and tasty treat.

Noah’s Ark Cake
Making a Noah’s Ark cake is quite easy. You can bake the cake in a normal tray, circular or rectangular, and to decorate it with a marzipan boat and marzipan and jelly animals. You can find a lot of things to decorate the cake, so you don’t have to waste a lot of time. Buy jelly animals and fruits, for example. You can also add a pigeon to the cake’s decoration, since the pigeon was the first bird on Noah’s Ark that spotted the land.

Noah’s Ark centerpiece – make one from diapers and baby towels
All you have to do is use your imagination. Take some baby towels, roll them and tie the ends, to make a boat-like shape. You can add sails to your Noah’s Ark made from baby diapers. Inside the centerpiece, you can put presents for the baby: animal toys and animal books. A great idea is to add some flowers to the ark, made of baby socks, or a teddy bear also made from baby towels.

All the other decorations from the party – balloons, tablecloths, napkins, plates and glasses – can be printed with Noah’s Ark themes. Search online and you’ll find a lot of great party items you can order for a Noah’s Ark baby shower theme. A nice touch would be to put small animal toys inside the balloons, before you blow them up, which will make great gifts for the baby. Also, remember to order invites that fit with the same Noah’s Ark theme.



Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To find out more about great themes for a baby shower or to shop for Noah’s Ark baby shower theme supplies or some baby shower favors, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Pregnant – When to Stop Working

If you’re pregnant, the moment when you stop working it’s an important decision. You certainly need the extra money, but your health and your baby’s health have to come first. There are lots of facts to consider when deciding when to stop working: the type of activity, your general state of health, if you had any kind of problems with the pregnancy or not.

If you work in an environment with any kind of risks: toxic substances, heavy noises, too hot or extremely cold, you should ask your employer to offer you another position from the moment you find out you are pregnant. Make sure you explain to your physician everything about the environment form your work place, if you think it could affect you or the pregnancy. Only the physician is able to tell you if you can go to work normally, as you did before becoming pregnant, if you need to reduce the hours or you have to stop working all together.
If your job requires you to stand on your feet for hours, you should also ask your employer to change your responsibilities. Standing for hours is not something that a pregnant woman can live with.

When you work under normal conditions, you can go to work as long as it’s comfortable for you and you don’t feel too tired. A lot of women work during almost the entire pregnancy without any kind of problems. You can do that too, if you take just a few basic precautions. First of all, at any sign of problems you need to call your physician and make an appointment. Don’t use your job as an excuse to ignore the signs your body is sending you. Eating well and getting enough rest is very important while you are pregnant. If you go to sleep early in the evenings and you make sure you eat a health breakfast and lunch every day, you should be able to work until the last trimester of your pregnancy.

However, you shouldn’t push yourself too hard. Even if you have a sitting down job, pregnancy is a time where your body is going through a lot of changes. Being at work for 8 hours (or more) daily might be stressful to you. This is why you should talk to your employer and, if possible, reduce your hours gradually as your pregnancy advances.

The final weeks of the pregnancy are the hardest: moving around or sitting down on a chair is uncomfortable, you are exhausted all the time and you need to lay down during the day. Unless you are extremely lucky and you don’t experience those symptoms, it’s the moment to stop working. If you are pushing yourself too hard, you might end up with serious health problems, like high blood pressure or you could even gave birth sooner than you were supposed to. After 28 weeks of pregnancy, even women with jobs in comfortable environments, like offices, should consider stop working. The most important thing is to always listen to your physician: stop working the minute your doctor tells you to do so.




Jamie Highland writes about topics like pregnancy and babies. To check some great baby shower ideas, like the modern mom baby shower theme or to check out some other baby shower themes, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

How to Reduce your Addiction to Coffee

Coffee is actually a very healthy drink, if you consume it with moderation. It contains a lot of antioxidants, which are good for your body. For someone that doesn’t have any health issues, like high blood pressure, one or two cups of coffee every day shouldn’t cause any problems. However, if you use to drink a lot of coffee cups every day, the caffeine from that drink will have a lot of unwanted effects on you. The excess of caffeine makes you hyperactive and dehydrated. You’re unable to function during the day without more and more coffee, and the caffeine also affects your sleep. You’re unable to rest properly during the night, so the next day you’ll drink even more coffee. If you reached that point, you’re addicted to coffee and you need to do something to reduce that addiction.

The first rule is to drink plenty of water. Drinking coffee dehydrates you, and the symptoms of dehydration are headaches, tiredness and irritability. You should start the day with one cup of coffee. A moderate amount of coffee is okay to drink. However, during the day, you shouldn’t have another one. Every time you feel like having coffee, you should switch it to water. This way, your body will hydrate and in time, you’ll get rid of many of caffeine addiction symptoms. Even if you feel lethargic and tired, avoid the coffee. Trading coffee for energy drinks is not a solution either – you’re simply changing the subject of your addiction.

Plant and dried fruits infusions are extremely efficient in helping you reduce addiction to coffee. Certain combinations, like dried eglantine, apple or pineapple infusions with some green tea leaves added, are great for fighting coffee addiction. Those delicious, hot drinks are very rich in antioxidants and vitamin C and help you keep high energy levels in a gentle, natural way, without making you hyperactive.

Sometimes, you lack energy and you are tired. You fight those symptoms with yet another cup of coffee. Well, that’s not the best strategy. A lot of times, tiredness comes from the fact you’re not eating enough or you’re not eating the right foods. You wake up in the morning and you drink a cup of coffee, without anything to eat. Then, you go to work and expect your body to function well. It’s only natural to have a low energy level during the entire day if you don’t eat in the morning. You should start your day with a healthy breakfast, composed of whole cereals, light proteins and vegetables. This way, your body will have enough energy until lunch time and you’ll reduce your appetite for coffee.

Addiction for coffee is often associated with addiction for sugar. This happens if you have your coffee with two or three teaspoons of sugar every time. Once the sugar and caffeine rush is over, the tiredness and lack of energy will come back even worst. So, cutting your coffee intake is not enough. If you associate coffee with lots of sugar, you also have to reduce sugar. You can replace your regular cup of extra sweet coffee with a fresh fruit, a glass of water or an unsweetened cup of green tea.




Jamie Highland writes about food, family topics, and parties, like baby showers. To find out more about great themes for a baby shower like coffee baby shower theme or to check out some other baby shower themes, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

When do you start putting shoes on your baby’s feet?

There is an entire dispute about the moment when you put the first pair of shoes on the baby’s feet. A lot of parents feel like the baby should be barefoot until the moment when he or she starts walking. Still, baby shoes are really sweet and your little one looks great with a pair of trendy shoes, matching his or her outfit.

You can find shoes small enough to fit a newborn. However, putting shoes on a newborn’s feet is not necessary. If you want to keep the baby’s feet warm, you can use socks or booties. They are much easier to put on and they are very comfortable for the baby. For special occasions, like the baptism of the baby or any other party he or she might attend, a nice pair of shoes is a must. You can find shoes small enough to fit a newborn. All you have to worry about is finding a pair that matches the outfit of your little prince or princess. And, of course, there is the price. There is a bit of a paradox about baby shoes, the price goes up as they get smaller. You have to be ready to spend at least $30 on a pair of elegant baby shoes.

During the first months of the baby’s life the shoes are optional. But, once he or she starts to walk, you need to go shopping for baby shoes. When babies start to walk, it’s very hard to keep them in one place. You can’t leave the house with a seven or eight months baby if you don’t have some shoes for the moments when he or she insists to walk. Whether you go out in the park or you go shopping with your baby, you really need a pair of shoes for him or her, even if you don’t keep them on baby’s feet all the time.

Indoors, you can let the baby walk barefoot or with some socks on. Most babies learn to walk sooner and are more stable on their feet if they spend a lot of time exercising barefoot. However, you shouldn’t allow your baby to walk while wearing booties as this type of footwear will make the baby unstable. The conclusion is that you have to start putting shoes on your baby’s feet from the moment he or she makes the first attempts of walking.
Getting the right pair of shoes is equally important as the moment when you get the first pair of baby shoes. Baby shoes need to be comfortable, made of materials that allow the skin to breathe, like leather or natural fibers. The sole of the shoes needs to be flexible, but still firm enough to offer some support. You should consider buying baby shoes or boots that come above the ankle – this type of shoes offer stability and support for walking. Also, you need to make sure that the shoes fit perfectly on the baby’s feet. If you get an uncomfortable pair of shoes, your baby won’t be stimulated to learn how to walk.




Jamie Highland writes about babies and family topics. To find out more about great themes for a baby shower like baby feet baby shower or to check out some more baby shower favors, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

The 5 Most Popular Sports in Asia

Asia is a pretty big continent. Actually, it is the biggest and the most populated continent of the world. So, it’s only natural that the people living here to be fans of a lot of different sports. Both team sports and individual ones are very popular in Asia.

European football (or soccer) became extremely popular in almost all Asian countries, during the last few decades. This team sport, born in Great Britain, literally conquered the world. Countries like South Korea, Japan and China developed a real national obsession about soccer. Soccer is a game played by two teams of eleven players each, on a large, rectangular field, about 120 meters long and 90 meters wide. One game lasts 90 minutes and is divided in two 45 minutes rounds. The whole purpose of the game is to put the ball inside the other’s team goal. A goalkeeper guards the goal. The team that scores more wins the game. Unlike American football, European football (or soccer) restricts a lot physical contacts between players. It’s based more on a good control of the ball by the players, being a team sport where serious injuries are very rare. This is why soccer also becomes widely popular among women too.

Cricket, another team sport brought to Asia by the British, is very popular and loved in a lot of countries, like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan or Sri Lanka. Cricket is also played by two teams or 11 players, but on an oval field, with a diameter of about 200 meters. In the center of that field is the pitch, where two batsmen stand, waiting for a ball to be delivered by the bowler. If the batsman successfully fits the ball and then he runs to the other end of the pitch, it means that he scored points for his team. The rules of cricket are really complex and there is more than one way for playing this game. However, this is not stopping people from Asia to enjoy cricket and to play it for days. A single game of cricket can sometimes take even five days to be completed.

Table tennis can be played by single players or by teams of tow and it’s incredibly popular in a lot of Asian countries, like China, South Korea or Vietnam. Table tennis is played over a table with a net in the middle, with small plastic balls, requiring a huge amount of concentration and coordination from the players. The rules are a lot like those of field tennis: every players needs to send back the balls and if they don’t succeed doing so the opponent receives points.

Gymnastics is, for decades, extremely popular in Asia, especially in China, but also North or South Korea and other Asian countries. Gymnastics is basically an individual sport, although during big competitions the athletes also compete in teams. Women gymnastics involves four different events: uneven parallel bars, floor exercise, balance beam and vaults. As for men, there are six events: floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar. Each exercise of a gymnast receives point from a jury of specialists and the one that has more points wins a certain competition.

And, of course, this top wouldn’t be complete without mentioning old, traditional Asian fighting styles, collectively known as martial arts. There is a wide variety of such traditional sports, specific to certain countries, like kung-fu or wushu in China and karate or sumo in Japan.




Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like baby showers and is a sports enthusiast. To shop for sports baby shower theme items or other baby shower favors, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

5 Great Side Dishes to Serve with Duck

A very sophisticated, delicious main course to serve during a dinner party is duck. And you can truly appreciate duck only with a side dish that enhance the savor of duck meat. If you intend to cook a duck for your guests or for your family, you need to pick the perfect side dish. Duck meat is tender, sweet and, unlike turkey or chicken, there’s a lot of meat on the bones. The best side dishes for duck are those based on vegetables, accompanied by sour and sweet gravy.

Cabbage works great with duck. It might not sound so glamorous, but if it’s cooked right, cabbage is an extraordinary side dish for duck. Chop the cabbage as finely as you can. Put a large pan on fire and add some sort of fat. If you have duck fat, it’s perfect. If not, you can simply replace the duck fat with butter or a good quality vegetable oil. Wait until the fat from the pan heats up and add the finely chopped cabbage. For about 15 minutes, keep stirring inside the pan, to avoid burning the cabbage. After the cabbage turns softer and gets some color, you can put a few drops of water, to help the cabbage cooks better. The cabbage is done when it becomes really soft and tender and gets a caramel-like flavor and color. Generally, you need about 30 minutes to cook the cabbage. It’s a very simple, but sweet and flavored side dish, that works great with duck.

Roasted vegetables are another great side dish you can serve with duck. It’s very easy to make, it will take you only 10 minutes to prepare and another about 50 minutes in the oven. You can use all your favorite vegetables: carrots, celery and parsley roots, onions or garlic. Cut all the vegetables in pieces that have about the same size, wash them in cold water and let them dry. In the mean time, take a large pan, add some olive oil inside and start flavoring the oil with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, rosemary and oregano. Mix the olive oil and the flavors very well, and then add the vegetables. Make sure that the vegetables picked up some flavored oil on all sides. Cover the pan with some aluminum foil and place it in the hot oven for about 30 minutes. Then uncover the pan and let it inside the oven for another 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are well roasted.

A warm red beet salad also goes very well with duck. Although it might take you a while to cook the red beet, the savor of this salad will perfectly complement the taste of duck meat. The first step is to cook the red beet. Wash them really well and put them inside the hot oven, in a pan covered with parchment paper. That step will take a while – red beets taste much better if you bake the entire root, without cutting it in small pieces. However, it will take about two hours for the red beets to be bakes. Once they are ready, you have to chop the as finely as you can. Flavor the red beet salad with olive oil, salt, a pinch of sugar, a small quantity of horseradish and a generous amount of caraway seeds.

Mashed potatoes with caramelized onions are a sweet and flavored side dish, ideal for duck. Prepare the mashed potatoes as you normally do, with plenty of butter and milk. Cut the onions in slices and put them in a hot pan with olive oil, stirring continuously. In about 20 minutes, the onions will become soft and caramelized – they are ready when the color is light brown. The combination between the mash potatoes, caramelized onions and duck is just divine.

Mashed pumpkin is simply delicious with duck. Bake the pumpkin in the oven, and after is completely cooked just mash it with butter, milk, salt and pepper, until it becomes a rich, creamy paste.




Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To read more articles or to find out more themes for a baby shower like duck baby shower theme or to check out some more baby shower favors, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Fun Crafts for a Baby Shower

When you organize a baby shower, decorations are quite important. You want funny stuff which will amuse the mum to be and all the guests, but at the same time will make great gifts for the parents. You can make a lot of fun crafts to decorate the baby shower party and your crafts will be much more than simple decorations. The parents and the baby will be able to actually use all of them.

Instead of buying flower arrangements for the tables, you can make some great roses from baby socks. Just roll them and tie one of the ends to some kind of support, like a wooden stick or a straw and put them in vases. It’s a very amusing arrangement, and the mom to be will be relieved that she doesn’t have to buy a lot of socks for the baby!

Baby towels are another item you can use to make a lot of fun crafts for the baby shower. The main rule is the same as with the baby socks: roll them and then you can make just about anything out of them. You can make a teddy bear or a nice doll, for example. From smaller towels you make the head, legs and hands, and from larger towels you make the actual body. Use satin ribbons to tie the teddy bear together.

The main centerpiece of the baby shower can be something truly special, crafted by your own hands. Whether it’s a classic diaper cake or you try something different, like a basket made from rolled and then tied together towels, your effort will be certainly appreciated. All you have to do is rolling the towels on the long side, and then tie the rolls together with blue or pink ribbon. If you tie harder around the ends, the whole ensemble will curve and will look like a small basket. Keep one of the rolled towels to make a handle for the basket. If you make a baby towel basket, you can put inside a lot of the gifts for the mom-to-be and the baby including powders, lotions, baby bottles, toys and others.

Another super idea of fun craft for baby showers is a baby basinet. To make one, you need a large oval bowl, some baby blankets, and ribbons. Cover the large bowl with baby blankets in a decorative manner and also add some ribbons. Inside the basinet, you can also put some gifts for the mum and the baby like clothes, toys or baby bottles.

You can also create some edible crafts for the baby shower. For example, if you bake a cake for the baby shower, you can decorate it with small baby booties made of marzipan. They are quite easy to model. All you have to do is study a bit a picture of a baby bootie or an actual bootie and in no time, you’ll create your own fun and delicious marzipan baby booties. You can put them on the cake or you can wrap them and give them as favors to the guests.



Jamie Highland enjoys writing about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To shop for baby shower gifts or to check out some baby shower games, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Hospital Gift Ideas for Sick Friends and Relatives

When you have a sick friend or relative that has to spend some time in hospital, you would do just about anything to make him or her feel better. And you are perfectly right to do so – when a person is happy and optimistic, he or she will recover much faster. If you buy a small item for a sick friend or relative who is in hospital, you need to make sure that the gift is funny, entertaining or…delicious. There are two categories of gifts you can get for people in hospital: edible or non-edible.

Hospital food is horrible – your sick friends or relatives in hospital will appreciate a delicious treat. Whether it’s fruits, sweets or something else, you will make to the sick person a great surprise. However, you have to check first if your friend or relative is allowed to have such snacks or he or she has to follow a special diet. Before buying foods for sick people check with the family what type of foods you should get. You don’t have to be the one who takes chocolate to a sick person and he or she can’t eat it.

Spending entire days on a hospital bed is really boring for the sick person. A suitable gift for a friend or a relative who is in hospital would be something that makes time go faster: a book of his or her favorite author, some magazines, an MP3 or MP4 player to listen to the music. Comic books are also a great gift idea for sick persons having to spend time in hospital – superheroes adventures certainly help everyone to forget they have to stay in hospital for days. You can also buy some games that can be played by a single person, like Sudoku or crossword puzzle. Buying a laptop for a sick friend or relative might be a little too expensive, but you can lend them your laptop for the entire hospitalization period. Make sure you have a lot of computer games and movies on your laptop.

Flowers, balloons and cards are perfect to cheer a sick person in hospital. Such a gift will make the room prettier and friendlier. Your sick friend or relative will enjoy the beauty of the flowers and the encouraging “Get well soon” message from your card. Funny gifts are another option for the moments when you have to visit your sick friends or relatives in hospital. Think about something that it will make them laugh: a T-shirt with a funny message printed on, amusing stickers for the bandages or some comic toys.

If you have to visit a child who is in the hospital, you can make him or her really happy with the right toy, whether it’s a doll, a car, Lego game or something else. To help a child to deal with that stressful situation, you can buy him or her a toy doctor play set. Surely the child will cooperate better with the doctors if he or she has a set of instruments that are just like the ones that doctors are using. And remember, the best gift you can make for your sick friends and relatives are moral support and attention.




Jamie Highland writes about weddings, gifts, and other occasions. To find out more about fun items you can buy as gifts for friends or to shop for baby shower gifts or for baby shower games, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Her

Wedding anniversaries are very special moments for all couples. It’s that time of year when you celebrate the fact that the two of you are together, happy and loving each other. And, if you want to stay that way, you definitely need to find a special gift for your lady. Remember – the most important thing is to buy something that will show her you took the time to consider her preferences and passions.

A truly spectacular wedding anniversary gift is a few days trip, just the two of you, to a romantic destination. You will impress her for sure if you pick a destination she dreamed about for a long time or the same place where the two of you were at for your honeymoon.

Jewelry is always a good choice – all women love good jewelry. But you’ll get some extra points if you engrave the piece of jewelry with something special, like a declaration of your love.

Offer her a very special treat, like a day to the spa, with everything included: cosmetic treatment, massages and sauna. After an entire day of pampering, she will certainly be in the mood for celebration.

The classic combination – chocolate, flowers and wine – is always a winner. But you need to make sure you’re getting her favorite flowers, a bottle of nice, expensive wine and some fine chocolate.

Generally, buying clothes and shoes for ladies is a little risky. However, if you are positive you know her sizes and there is an item she really wants, you can get it for her. But remember, you need to be absolutely sure about the size, model and color, or you’re in big trouble!

A gift certificate, even if it might seem really impersonal and unromantic, might be the right choice sometimes. But it better be packed inside the most romantic greeting card ever and with the most beautiful red rose.

A great wedding anniversary gift is something that will show her you know everything about her and her hobbies. So, if she loves opera, get her a complete collection of CD’s with her favorite tunes or, if she loves gardening, a gardening book.

Engraved watches also make great anniversary gifts. It’s a way to tell her you love every minute you spend with her and you hope for a lifetime of special moments together.

Electronic gadgets make great wedding anniversary presents. You can get for your wife a new laptop or notebook, a sophisticated phone to help her keep contact with all the loved ones, or some other item like a digital photo frame.

If your wife loves cooking and organizing dinner parties, then everything related to the kitchen makes a good gift for her. You can buy her a new kitchen robot, a set of pots and pans, or all sorts of tableware. However, make sure she really wants and needs those items. So, before actually getting her tableware and kitchen accessories as a wedding anniversary gift, ask her discreetly if that’s a good idea.



Jamie Highland writes about events, like weddings and baby showers. To find out more about how to find the perfect gift for any occasion or to shop for baby shower gifts or other baby shower games, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Practical and Fun Baby Shower Games

If you organize a baby shower, you also need to find some creative ways to entertain the guests. Dancing is not really an option for baby showers, so you need to come up with something different. Games are a great, funny way for guests and the mom-to-be to enjoy the baby shower. You can either buy personalized playing cards for the baby shower or you can simply come up with some games that don’t need any kind of accessories. Here are some ideas about all the fun games the guests can enjoy during a baby shower.

A great game idea is to ask all the guests to write on a piece of paper the name they think the parents should give to the baby and to argument their option. If someone guesses the name or even better, gives a new idea for a cool name to the parents, he or she should receive a prize.

A bingo game is always fun, isn’t it? And, if the bingo cards are themed for a baby shower, it’s even more exciting. You can have a prize for the winner, but you can give to this prize a funny twist. For example, the prize could be two hours baby-sitting whenever the mom needs, during the following 12 months.

You can also have some baby shower themed lottery tickets. You can sell them to the guests and the money will go to a “diaper trust fund” to help the parents, while the winner of the lottery can get a different prize. You can offer to the lottery winner a special prize, like the opportunity to be the first one from your circle of friends and relatives to visit the newborn.

Everyone loves betting. And betting on the day the baby will be born is a great game for a baby shower. The person who gets it right will have the honor to be the one who drives the newborn and the parents back from the hospital or receive some other prize.

You can order online packages with “It’s a boy” or “It’s a girls” playing cards and all the guests will enjoy the games. You can use the cards for any type of games you play with regular cards.

A very special activity for a baby shower would be to take photos of all the friends and relatives from the baby shower and ask them to write a short message for the mom-to-be and the newborn. You can print the pictures and the messages later, in the form of a touching memory book, and give it to the mother. She will certainly treasure the memory book for years to come.

Of course, there are many more ideas about baby shower games: themed scratch off tickets with prizes or baby trivia card deck with questions related to pregnancy and babies. You can even make a contest: who gives to the mom the best tips related to taking care of newborns? Of course, the judge would be the mom, and the winner can receive a diploma certifying he or she knows a lot about taking care of babies.

A very fun idea is to bet on how much the baby will weight when he or she will be born. Of course, it will be a while before you find out who won the contest, but it’s a very entertaining game for a baby shower party.




Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To check out some more baby shower games or to shop for some baby shower gifts, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

5 Creative Centerpiece Ideas

The centerpiece is one of the most important decorative elements from any party. The moment the guests arrive, the first thing they notice is the centerpiece. So, you need to take some time to find the perfect centerpiece for the party you organize.

For most parties, especially weddings, the traditional centerpiece – a floral arrangement – is both elegant and convenient. Since you have a lot of tables to set up, you can place a large flower arrangement on the main table and small replicas of the main floral arrangement on all the other tables. When picking the flower arrangements that you want to use as centerpieces for a party, make sure they will look fresh for at least 10 hours. You need to set the tables before the party, and the flower arrangements are delivered in advance – it’s very important though to get arrangements that last for hours.

A beautiful centerpiece, suitable for any type of party, is a transparent glass bowl you can decorate with just about anything: she shells, colored sand, candles or dried flowers. You can make only one centerpiece from a large bowl, or, if you have to set a lot of tables, you can make several smaller arrangements, in cylindrical, transparent glasses. All you have to do is putting, inside the transparent bowl or glass, layers of colored sand, seashells and dried flowers. Finish each arrangement with as a scented candle and all your guests will be impressed.

A fruits basket makes a beautiful and delicious centerpiece. Buy as many types of fruits as you can find in the supermarket and also get an elegant bowl or basket. Arrange the fruits in the bowl or basket as artistic as you can and finish the look with some dried flowers and fruits. For this arrangement, you have to use entire fruits: don’t cut or peel them because they will turn black in no time and they won’t look pretty at all. The best part about that centerpiece is that it also makes a yummy desert, with some cream and biscuits aside.

A chocolate fountain not only that it looks great, but all the guests will be delight by such a spectacular centerpiece. Make a beautiful fruits and cheese arrangement around the chocolate fountain, and let everyone enjoy delicious chocolate-coated bites. Be as creative as you can about the chocolate fountain centerpiece. For example, you can arrange wood sticks with fruits on top in some foam like material and make them look like a flower bouquet. Instead of chocolate, you can also get a fruit punch or drink fountain.

You can also make an unconventional centerpiece out of square tray, that you can use as a display for a lot of decorative objects. You can put on the tray different things: scented candles, a small flowerpot, chocolate and biscuits for the guests, seashells, rocks or anything else. The only rule is to look good. This tray centerpiece is great for another reason: you can also place the favors for you guests on it.




Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To find out more about the items you need for the perfect party and to shop for baby shower centerpieces or other baby shower decorations, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

The Best Brands for Disposable Diapers

When choosing baby diapers, parents can feel a little lost. There are a lot of different brands, some expensive, others less expensive, and people just don’t know what brand is better for their child. Especially with the first born, when you don’t have any experience and a lot of decisions to make, the diaper issue is just another dilemma that needs to be quickly resolved.

So, what should you be looking for when you are buying disposable diapers? They need to be comfortable for your newborn, leakage free, and free from any toxic components. Try to research the different diaper brands and learn as much as possible about the materials that diapers are made up of. You should look for brands that don’t use chlorine and toxic components in their products. But you can’t actually know if the baby is comfortable with the diapers until you buy a few different brands and see which has the best results. A certain diaper brand can work great for one baby, but it might cause a rash on another one. The only solution is to buy different brands in small packages and observe which one is best tolerated.

A very important characteristic you need to check when shopping for diapers is the available sizes. You should choose a brand that has a lot of different sizes. For example, if a diaper brand features a single size for baby weights from 8 lb. up to 20 lb., you should get something else. Such a diaper will be too big for an 8 lb. newborn and too tight for the 20 lb. baby. So make sure you buy brands that are truly fitted for the child weight. Some brands have different diapers for boys and girls, which is a very useful characteristic as it helps prevent leaky diapers.

Talking with other parents about the best diaper brands is always useful. You’ll find out a lot on tips and details about the best diaper brands. You can also read consumers reviews about diapers – it will give you a better idea about every brand best and worst parts. Most parents and caretakers agree that the best diaper brands are Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, Seventh Generation and gDiapers.

So, why do parents and caretakers prefer those brands over others? The products reviews tell us they enjoy the fact that some brands, like Pampers, provide innovations like including a lotion in the lining of the diaper or a special diaper to use when the baby has a rash. Also, parents appreciate diapers that fit well on the baby’s body, allowing the baby to move comfortably. Most parents prefer diapers that are very absorbent without becoming bulky when they are wet. This is one of the reasons why Luvs diapers are among the best diaper brands.

For the parents concerned about the environment the best brands are Seventh Generation and gDiapers. Seventh Generations are chlorine-free, without any toxic components – this is good for the baby’s skin and for the nature. gDiapers is the only diaper brand you can throw directly into the toilet and flush it, since they are made up of biodegradable materials.



Jamie Highland is a family and events planning writer. To read more articles or to check out some diaper cakes or other some baby shower centerpieces, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Tableware items to get for a party

A dinner party (or any type of party where you serve food) requires proper tableware. You need a lot of items, like dishes, glassware, sauceboats and cutlery, enough for all your guests. For classy parties, the tableware needs to match: you can’t have half of the dishes white, the other half blue, three types of glasses and the cutlery all mismatched. If you love to receive guests and you organize a lot of parties, buying a complete, large set of tableware with all the items is a good investment.

When shopping for tableware items for a party, you need to consider first the menu you plan to serve. If it’s a sophisticated dinner party, with a many courses, then you need a lot of plates, glasses and cutlery. A complete set of tableware has to contain plates for the entrée course, salads, main course and dessert. If you intend to serve soup, you also have to get some soup bowls. The cutlery is the next item on your list. You need forks for the entrée course, salad and the main course. When fish is on the menu, a special type of fork, a fish fork, is needed. Other cutlery items you have to get for a party are the knives for the main course, the spoons for soup and teaspoons for dessert and for serving coffee.

The glasses are the next items to choose for a party. For every guest, you need at least two glasses – one for water, the other one for wine. Those glasses should be on the table, next to de plates. Also, you need different sets of glasses that you’ll use when you prepare other drinks for the guests: cocktails, whiskey, vodka, cognac. A nice set of cups for coffee and tea is also required when organizing a party.

Once you got all the items you need for the guests, you have to concentrate on tableware items for serving the food. You need some large serving platters, sauceboats, bowls for salads and a big knife to portion the meat. Ideally, all the plates, bowls and serving plates should be from the same set. If you can’t find a complete set, with all the tableware items you need for a party, you can combine sets that look good together. With glasses, you also need to make sure they belong to the same set of items.

Napkins and tablecloths are also very important if you want flawless table arrangement. The plates and the platters need to match with the napkins and the tablecloth. Try to get all the stuff you need from the same place: that way, you’ll have the opportunity to check how the plates, napkins and tablecloth look together.
Those are the tableware items you need to get for a party. If you are organizing a buffet, you need about the same type of tableware, but you have to arrange them differently. Set up a large table on a side of the room, but make sure there is enough space around the table for your guests to move comfortably around. Arrange the food on large platters, and leave the plates, glasses and cutlery aside. Get good-quality tableware items – you’ll be using them for years.



Jamie Highland writes about events and parties like weddings and baby showers. To find out more about and to shop for baby shower tableware or to check out some baby shower games, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Ideas for hosting a cooking party

Cooking parties are fun and a great way to spend time with your friends. At the same time, you can learn cooking tips from others. In order to make everything to run smoothly, you need to organize the party very well. The main condition for nice, relaxing cooking parties is to have enough room and cooking tools for everyone.

The first step is to pick the menu. Once you’ve decided what you will cook, you have to buy all the ingredients. Make sure you don’t leave anything out. There is nothing more annoying than realizing, after you already started to cook, that you don’t have everything you need. So, take a good look at the recipes and make a list with all the ingredients. Another thing to think about - tableware, pans, pots, tablecloths, napkins and other cooking utensils. If you don’t have enough cooking tools and tableware for every one, you can either buy some more or you can simply borrow from friends the items you need. For setting the table, you can simply get some plastic or paper tableware.

When planning a cooking party, you should select some quick and fun to do recipes – pizza, different pies, lasagna, grilled vegetables, and salads are great for cooking parties. Make it fun – for example, you can ask each friend invited to the cooking party to select his or her favorite ingredient (a variety of cheese, a vegetable, salami, sausages, even fruits or other unconventional toppings) and make a huge pizza with all those ingredients.

Find a theme for your cooking party. For example, you can cook only things you can eat with your fingers – that’s a really funny theme, and all your friends will appreciate the idea. There are a lot of foods you can eat with the fingers. Just get barbecue sticks and add little pieces of meat, shrimp, and vegetables. Arrange them on a pan and pop them into a preheated oven. In the mean time, you and your friends can start working on soups and salads or other side dishes.

You can organize a very special cooking party, for your closest friends, around a cheese fondue pot. Cheese fondue is delicious, easy to make and fun to eat. There is a special tool for making cheese fondue, a pot placed on top of a heating source, but it’s not mandatory for making fondue cheese. All you need is a good –quality nonreactive pan, your favorite type of cheese, and a bottle of white wine and some spices. Garlic works great for cheese fondue. Basically, all you have to do is to melt the cheese on low heat and to add the wine and the garlic. Prepare a large pot, to have enough for everyone, and ask your friends to put together some salads for the cheese. You can have the cheese with cubed bread, slices of apples or pears and grapes. You can serve it directly from the pot, but you need some sticks for the bread and fruits.

So, next time you organize a cooking party, make sure you follow some of these great tips.




Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To find out more about how to organize perfect events or to shop for baby shower tableware and other baby shower supplies, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Ideas for Decorating Your Wedding Reception Hallway

The truth is simple – a wedding will be incomplete without the proper decorations. Choosing hallway decorations can be exceptionally difficult, as these have to correspond to the theme, the outfits and the general mood of the event.

Taking into consideration the fact that many engaged individuals are on a tight budget makes the task even more difficult.

Is it possible to enjoy beautiful hallway decorations that are inexpensive and stylish at the same time? It takes a great idea, some imagination and research but coming up with the perfect hallway decorations is achievable.

You first need to decide on the theme that you want to follow. What is it that your wedding will be projecting? Do you want to focus on traditions or you prefer expressing your personality in a more unconventional manner? Decide on the message before you start choosing decorations.

Flower hallway decorations
Flowers are a traditional decoration that you can never go wrong with. The freshness, scent and beauty of flowers make them a very popular decoration for all types of weddings. If you want to focus on romantic and classy ambience, you can choose specific flower arrangements.

The fact is that you can even create flower decorations yourself. It might be difficult to come up with the patterns and the manner in which the floral motifs will be applied but once you manage to come up with an idea, you can easily implement it.

One of the simplest, yet most noticeable ideas is flower arches. Flower arches, positioned at a certain regular distance from each other will introduce style and beauty to the hallway.

Ribbon hallway decorations
Ribbons can also be used to create effective and professional hallway decoration patterns. Such decorations are suitable both for weddings and for other events.

You can either select ribbons in one color or create patterns with ribbons that are contrasting each other. When you go for several colors, you have to be exceptionally careful. Some combinations can be truly disastrous while others are completely inappropriate for a wedding. Black and red are perfectly suited to each other but these colors are too aggressive and grim for the occasion.

The ribbons that will be most appropriate for a wedding should be white, beige or pink in color. These can be combined finely with floral arrangements.

If you want the ambience to be more romantic, you can create hallway decorations of ribbons and candles. Make sure that the candles are positioned in a manner that does not interfere with the entry and exit of individuals. They should also be placed in a way that minimizes the chances of a fire getting started.

Theme hallway decorations
If you want to do something fun and personalized for a change, you can opt for thematic hallway decorations.

Keep in mind that thematic hallway decorations take more time to come up with and implement. Usually such arrangements are more costly, as well.

Paintings and props can be used in the recreation of any theme. Would you like your hallway to resemble Venice or maybe a romantic moonlit beach? All this is achievable but understand that you will have to be actively involved in the process. Gondola paintings and props resembling bridges will take your wedding to Venice. If you want to have beach-themed decorations, you can use sea-shells. Sea-shells are excellent as they can be used in a number of decorative ways.

Coming up with amazing hallway decorations is not necessarily a costly and difficult task. If you are open and positive about it, the process can be very fun and enjoyable. Select the decorations that you desire and personalize as much as you want to – this is your wedding and you should try to enjoy every aspect of it.



Jamie Highland is a writer that enjoys writing about baby showers and weddings. For more articles or to see some baby shower decorations or baby shower supplies, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Baby shower planning tips – 3 ways to decorate

When you’re planning a baby shower for a friend or family member, decorating the place is one of the most important aspects of the whole party.

Your main goal is to make the mom-to-be as happy and comfortable as possible. Don’t wait with the baby shower until the last weeks of the pregnancy, because the future mom will be uncomfortable and tired and she won’t enjoy the baby shower, as she should. Talk to her and choose the right date for the baby shower, the guests list and the menu. She is the celebrated person there – everything has to be perfect for her. Don’t try to organize a surprise baby shower unless you are completely sure that the mom-to-be will appreciate your gesture and you know everything there is to know about her preferences. So, once you settle on all these things, it’s time to think about decorations.

First, you should pick a theme. The theme can be almost anything, but try to find something significant for the mom-to-be. For example, if she particularly loves a certain actor, dress-style, cartoon character, music or anything else, build all decorations around that theme. What you need to keep in mind is that you organize the baby shower to celebrate the mom, so you don’t have to pick the kind of decorations you would choose for a children’s party, for example. Since you are organizing the shower party, your certainly know a lot about the mom, so come up with something special and original. You can get as creative as you want: if the mom-to–be dreams about a holiday in Hawaii, organize a Hawaiian party. If she loves being in the nature, make the party look like a picnic, with lots of wild flowers on the tables and rustic decorations.

Most people, when planning a baby shower, tend to pick all decorations with the baby gender in mind. So, most of those parties are either a pink explosion or a blue one. Isn’t that a little too much? Try to avoid such common decorations and predictable colors. Make a surprise for the mom-to-be and decorate the place with her favorite colors. If you don’t know her favorite colors, you still have a lot of options. Trendy colors for baby showers are green, orange, and light purple. So, you can trade the classic pink or blue for other colors, if you want to prepare an unconventional baby shower and original decorations.

Baby showers are all about pampering the mom-to-be. So, a great idea would be to organize the baby shower like a day to the spa. Get soft, white robes and fluffy slippers for all guests and allow them to change when they arrive to the party. Decorate the room with perfumed candles and flowers, put relaxing music and prepare some delicious snacks. Hire one or two massage therapists for all guests. This will be a baby shower every one will remember - the mother and all the guests. Of course, it’s not something you can set up in a restaurant, for 40 people. It’s the kind of intimate party you should organize in your own home, only for the closest friends and family.



Jamie Highland is an events planning writer. To check out some baby shower decorations and other baby shower supplies, be sure to visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Closet Decorating Ideas

Closets are an essential part of your home – it’s very important to organize them well and to find room for all your family belongings. Closets are never large enough – and every family with kids knows that very well. The amount of clothes, toys, books and other stuff a kid needs are really hard to fit in one closet. Here are some tips about how to organize the closets, not only those from the children’s room, but also the parent’s master bedroom.

1. A closet with many compartments remains nice and tidy for a longer period of time. If you have a special place for every category of items: T-shirts, socks, underwear, shoes, toys and so on, it will be much easier for all your family members to find what they need. Great closet organizers are the attachable hangers with pockets. You can install them on the two sides of the closet and also on the interior side of the doors. Those hangers with pockets will provide you extra-storage space and a separate place for every category of items. Another good idea is to optimize your shelves with sets of baskets. Get transparent baskets – it’s very comfortable to be able to see what’s in every basket and to take what you need, without going through the entire closet.

2. Instead of keeping the shoes in boxes, which take a lot of space, install, in the lower part of the closet, a shoes organizer – those skew shelves that allow you to deposit many pairs of shoes in a small place.

3. Reserve the upper shelves, where it’s hard to reach, for items you only use rarely – extra pillows or blankets, sky equipment, empty luggage. If you are annoyed with the huge quantity of toys from your children’s rooms, just pack a part of those toys in large boxes and put them away, on the upper shelves of the closet. From time to time, take them out, give them to the children and pack other toys instead, the ones your children are already bored of. This way, not only it will be easier for you to keep the house tidy, but also your kids will enjoy theirs toys more.

4. Install proper lighting in the closet – if you don’t see what’s on the corners of the closet, on the upper or lower shelves, you don’t really use them. When you open you closet door, you should be able to see perfectly all the things deposited there. Instead of a single, central light bulb, install a few light spots. This will help you to use your entire closet at full capacity.

5. Closets from he children’s rooms are very hard to organize. Beside the clothes and the shoes, you need to find room for toys and a lot of accessories. The main rule is to select regularly the items your kid doesn’t need anymore and to store them separately, for your other kids, or, if it’s not the case, to give them to people who could use them. Make sure the children don’t have access to dangerous items and they can’t lock themselves inside the closet.



Jamie Highland writes about various family, home, and baby topics. For more articles or to view some personalized baby shower favors or some baby shower gifts, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Non Alcoholic Drink Recipes for a Baby Shower

In special occasions like weddings, birthdays and baby showers where you have invited your closest friends and relatives to come over and celebrate the moment with you, serving drinks is a basic rule. Since food and other treats are expected to be present, drinks should never be left out. And since it is a family occasion, non-alcoholic drinks are usually more appropriate.

Drinks are as important as the dishes you want to be served on special occasions such as a baby shower. Hence, it is vital to have at least a few non alcoholic drink recipes at hand for you to use for the event. Listed below are just some of the many options you may want to use for your baby shower:

Lime Rickey:
1 large lime juice
Sugar
Club soda
For this recipe, mix lime juice with a teaspoonful of sugar in a glass and stir well. Add at least two ice cubes and club soda then stir again. An optional garnish of lime slices will make the drink look attractive.

Pineapple Daisy:
8 parts pineapple juice
1 part grenadine
2 parts lemon juice
Mix the ingredients altogether. You can either stir it or shake it. After mixing, pour into the glass and add fresh pineapple and strawberries as decorations.

Spicy Coffee Cooler:
Cinnamon
1 cup heavy whipped cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Ground coffee
15 whole cloves
7 cups cold water
Mix the cloves, cinnamon and coffee with water and then brew. Add powdered sugar to the brewed mixture after straining. Fill half of the glass with crushed ice and then pour the brewed mixture. Add a touch of sweetened cream on the top.

Raspberry Mint Crush:
2 cups lime juice
1 cup red raspberries
2 cups sugar
A bunch of mint
2 cups boiling water
Mix the sugar into the water and let it chill. After a while, add crushed mint and lime juice into the mixture and let it chill again in the refrigerator for another 2 to 3 hours. Strain the mixture and pour it over a glass with cracked ice and garnish it with mint leaves.

Planters Punch:
3 quarts ginger ale
2 cups grenadine
2 cups lemon juice
2 cups orange juice
Sliced strawberries and pineapple
Mint leaves
Mix all the juices along with grenadine and let it chill for about 12 hours or overnight. Add ginger ale over the chilled mixture before serving. Garnish the drink with slices of strawberry and pineapple.

The recipes mentioned above can still be added with other ingredients to add more taste and flavoring. The secret also comes on how you present these drinks to your guests by way of the garnishes that you use. You should also know how to make further experiments on the drinks to be able to come up with a revised version of the drink recipes mentioned above. To do this, the testing phase should be done at least a few days before the exact day of the baby shower to allow certain adjustments if there are any.




Jamie Highland is an article writer on various family related topic and special occasions. To see some baby shower supplies or to check out some baby shower decorations, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Why Cocoa Butter Helps With Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are just one of the many common skin problems among men and women. This happens when our skin is stretched too far out due to certain factors like pregnancy and sudden weight loss or weight gain. Our skin may be stretchable but it also has its own limits. And when it is stretched above its limit, collagen is lost resulting to fine lines and wrinkles otherwise known as stretch marks.

Since most people are very much concerned with their skin, a lot of solutions for stretch marks were brought up. And one of which is the application of cocoa butter. But how does cocoa butter really work in reducing those unwanted stretch marks on our skin?

Cocoa butter is a natural treatment and can easily melt on our skin. It is applied through gently massaging the affected area. And this is when the magic of cocoa butter occurs. Once applied, cocoa butter is able to penetrate the skin up to its second layer which is known as the dermis. Made up mainly of highly concentrated and stable fats, cocoa butter helps replenish the amount of collagen lost in the skin. Once the production of collagen has been improved, stretch marks will then gradually disappear.

In addition to vitamin E oil, cocoa butter has also become a popular treatment for stretch marks. One thing that made it one of the preferred treatments is that it is often sold at a cheap price. The popularity of cocoa butter has also improved due to word of mouth from people who have used it.

However, due to its popularity, there have been a wide variety of cocoa butter products manufactured and promoted in the general market. What’s worse is that some of these cocoa butter creams have been found to be ineffective resulting in negative feedback from consumers. Therefore, it is highly recommended to buy cocoa butter creams from well known and trusted brands and establishments.

In some cases, it has been recorded that cocoa butter is not that effective when it comes to dealing with old stretch marks and that only the new ones can be treated. So experts have advised mothers to apply cocoa butter right away on new or fresh stretch marks. For better results, cocoa butter should be applied daily in order to not just reduce stretch marks but to moisturize skin, thus, giving it a more youthful glow. And for the best results, cocoa butter can be applied several times a day. Since it has a low melting point and melts immediately when applied to the skin, the butter can be easily applied in a circular motion. Just like when using other ointments or creams, best results are better achieved when massaged in circular motion.

Like what was mentioned earlier, cocoa butter creams come in various types and versions. In some cases, a label is provided indicating the ingredients used and the vitamins and minerals present in the cream. For sure choices, go for cocoa butter creams that contain the highest amount of vitamin E.



Jamie Highland is a professional writer about families and other related topics. Check out My Baby Shower Favors for more articles about pregnancy or to check out some baby shower chocolate favors or some baby shower candy.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Simple Chocolate Recipes

Who doesn’t like chocolate? Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not, a lot of people just can’t help the temptation of eating chocolates. Aside from its delightful taste, eating chocolates also makes you happy. What makes chocolate even greater is that it can either be an additional ingredient for a much tastier recipe or a candy on its own.

Chocolate, either as an ingredient or as a finished product, comes in various forms. It can be white, dark, or milk chocolate. Since its discovery, chocolate has become a major part in the lives of many people. There are many complex recipes where chocolate can be used, but it is best to start off with simpler recipes when learning.

One of the simplest forms of chocolate recipes is chocolate candy. Chocolate candies come in various types. Listed below are only some of the many simple chocolate recipes everyone can try at home:

1. Peanut Butter Chocolate Delight – this particular recipe is simple but creamy and a sure mouthful. For this delicious recipe, you’ll be needing chocolate filled sandwich cookies, peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter cup candies, instant chocolate pudding, cold milk, heavy cream, butter, and softened cream cheese.

Mix crushed cookies with melted butter. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese thoroughly. Then add peanut butter and powdered sugar into the fluffy cream cheese. Beat the mixture until it gets smooth. After which, you can sprinkle diced candies over the mixture. In another yet smaller bowl, mix together the pudding, cold milk and cream. In a bigger bowl, mix the frosting mixture, last package of softened cream cheese and powdered sugar. Finally, mix the chocolate pudding mixture with the cream cheese/frosting mixture and layer the candies with it. Cover the finished product and store in refrigerator for about 4-5 hours.

2. Luscious Kay Bars – this particular recipe is a special mixture of a cereal bar, peanut butter and chocolate. The main ingredients for this recipe are brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, peanut butter, crisp rice cereal and chocolate chips. In the first bowl, mix together the sugars and corn syrup. Heat the bowl in a microwave on high for two minutes. Stir the mixture again and repeat the same heating for another two minutes. After this step, remove the bowl from the oven and add peanut butter. Stir the mixture well before adding the cereal into the bowl. After the mixture has been stirred thoroughly, spread it evenly on a greased pan.

3. Chocolate Lollipops – For this recipe, get a block of milk or white chocolate. Spray a cooking pan with non-stick grease and melt the chocolate on low heat. Stir the mixture occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. Pour the chocolate into molds and add a lollipop stick. Allow to cool at room temperature for a few hours.

On a separate bar, mix the chocolate chips and peanut butter and heat on medium in the microwave oven for two minutes. Repeat the same procedure until the chips are totally melted. Spread the coating mixture on top of the cereal mixture. Cover the pan and let it cool.



Jamie Highland is a researcher and writer about family events, occasions and other topics. To get ideas for baby shower chocolate favors or other baby shower candy, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Sweet Favors for Your Baby Shower Party

You are about to have a baby and you have invited your gang and relatives to celebrate the good news with you. Sweet moments like this deserve the sweetest of treats. Candy has been a favorite treat since most people were kids. Since the dawn of its invention, candies have never lost its charm. Even now, more and more candies are manufactured with various designs and new flavors to enjoy.

Aside from candies, people also do enjoy munching on chocolates, cupcakes, brownies and cookies. They are all tasty and can fill you up. People love to eat, so going for these sweet favors is a sure thing and will make every stomach happy.

For occasions like birthday parties or baby showers, sweet favors are the best choice to give for your guests. Here are some reasons why people like sugary treats:

1. Flavors – Candies, along with cupcakes, chocolates, cookies and brownies have a long line of flavors to choose from. So whatever flavor or variation you choose, your guests will surely enjoy them down to the last bite.

2. Easy to buy – you can buy these sweet treats almost everywhere. You can buy them at your local grocery stores, convenience stores and even over the internet. So if you are preoccupied with other schedules and preparations, you can easily buy your sweet favors with a few simple clicks on your laptop.

3. Easy to store and pack – candies and cookies can be easily stored even in places that are unrefrigerated but temperature should not be higher than the room temperature. Brownies and cupcakes on the other hand may require refrigeration. They can last long so you can buy them a lot earlier than the actual date of your upcoming baby shower. Candies already come with their own wrappers so there’s really no need for you to apply extra effort in packing them. Cookies and cupcakes can be packed in personalized cellophane bags or boxes to add creativity.

4. Few people will say no to sweets – man or woman, young or old, they all love these sweet tasty treats. It’s almost a sure thing. For this, you will be free from worrying about favors that some of your guests might not like.

5. Cheap – candies, cookies, and cupcakes don’t cost a fortune. Since they are cheap, you can buy lots of them and have plenty left over.

A lot of these treats can even be baked or made in your own kitchen. You can melt chocolate and then form them into chocolate lollipops. You can also make cupcakes and decorate them with themed icing. Cakes and brownies are also a party favorite – just use some icing and your artistic skills to customize these treats for your baby shower theme.

These sweet favors are a great addition to spending quality time with your closest friends and relatives at a baby shower party. They make you feel happy every time you eat some. They can also be easily customized for a cute personalized touch. Nowadays, more and more would-be parents are choosing sweet tasty treats as their baby shower favors.



Jamie Highland is a writer who writes about baby showers and other occasions. To see some baby shower candy favors or to view some baby shower chocolate, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

How to Make Your Own Homemade Candy

Candies are like all time favorite treats. You can have them in almost any occasion and never stop giving delight to your guests’ sweet tooth. The sweet and flavorful sensation of candies never ceases to amaze children and adults alike. Candies are one of the best things you can offer for your guests in various occasions.

You can find candies in almost every corner of your home. In most cases, you can easily buy some in your local grocery or convenience stores. Buying candies is one thing but, making some on your own is a delightful and fun-learning experience everyone should try.

For most first-timers, the first time is always the hardest. Once you get a hang of it, everything else will come naturally. Making homemade candies is just like baking cakes in the oven. The first thing you need to do is decide on what type of candy or flavor you wish to make in your kitchen. You can look for candy recipes in books or on the internet for some flavorful choices. Once you have decided what particular candy you feel like making, then these simple and basic steps will follow:

1. Get the ingredients. Different recipes have different ingredients needed. So you should make sure that the candy recipe you have chosen has ingredients that can be easily bought in your local grocery stores. In most cases, you often see sugar, cocoa, fresh eggs, milk and butter on the list. In order to lessen your expenses, it is best to choose a recipe with the most number of ingredients that are already available in your kitchen. You also need some molders to achieve the desired shape for your candies. These shapes highlight your creativity in making candies.

2. Check you tools. Making your own candies means there will be a lot of mixing, stirring and beating required. To do these, you need to have at least a set of mixing bowls, a wire whisk, hand beater, rubber spatula and pastry blender. You also need to have the perfect measurements of your ingredients to achieve the desired taste for your treats so you’ll need some spoons and measuring cups.

3. Follow the given instructions one at a time and appropriately. Every candy making recipe has its own set of procedures. Just like in most algorithms, it is a step by step procedure. Avoid skipping one or a few steps. This may greatly affect the outcome of the whole cooking process.

4. Cook your candy mixture under the specified degree of heat. Also give high consideration on the required time it needs to be properly cooked.

5. Candies from the stove need to be given enough time to cool down. You should also make sure that you have platters already set.

Making homemade candies doesn’t require you to have a well experienced chef in your kitchen. You only need to have a good reference, a complete set of tools, and creative hands to do the whole package and make your own delicious candy treats.



Jamie Highland writes about families, occasions, and other topics. To check out some baby shower candy favors or some baby shower chocolate, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Healthy and Sweet Alternatives to Candy

Candy is something kids love to eat. We try to look for different kinds, but we usually fail to buy the healthy ones. There are actually healthy and sweet alternatives to candy which will surely be enjoyed by kids and all of us.

Why is candy unhealthy?
Some of us are addicted to candies. Over the years, candies have been one of the most common and popular snacks. Candy is often high in sugar and fat content, which causes obesity to not only kids but also adults. Nowadays, this problem is out of control. In United States, over 190 million people are obese or overweight and child obesity has tripled and continues to increase over the last three decades. The medical expenses for obesity are overwhelming and the burden is increasing every year. I have observed that other consumers’ grocery lists include unhealthy candies which make me sad knowing that it will eventually lower the life expectancy.

We wonder why we feel hungry so quickly after finishing 2 packs of candy. The reason for this is that the candies usually contain empty calories with no nutritional value. The ingredients usually include food coloring, all kinds of sugars (maltose, dextrin, dextrose and fructose), acid, artificial flavors and preservatives. Candy is not bad when eaten in moderation, but if you are addicted to it, you’re health is at risk.

What are the healthy and sweet alternatives?
Fruits are a healthy alternative and most people and kids love fruits too. Generally, fruits have high vitamins and low fat content. There is a wide variety to choose from depending on what you or your kids love. You can eat fruit by itself or you can fix a fruit salad as your snack.

Another alternative is fruit popsicles which will satisfy your sweet tooth. They are scrumptious and sweet, yet healthy and very light. They are easy to make. Just take fruit juice and pour it into an ice cube tray. Then freeze it for a few minutes, add a toothpick in the middle, and freeze some more. Once frozen, take it and serve when needed. You will surely enjoy this quick healthy treat.

The next alternative is dried fruits. They might not have as much vitamins as the fresh fruits but they have a substantial amount of fiber. You can choose from raisins, prunes, dried apricots, dried apples, dried mangoes, etc.

The last alternative that’s recommended for a healthy lifestyle is a homemade energy bar. The ingredients include: peanuts, sunflower seed kernels, raisins, uncooked oatmeal, toasted rice cereal, peanut butter, small amount of brown sugar, a little bit of corn syrup and a teaspoon of vanilla. Mix the peanuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, oatmeal and rice cereal. Then on the other bowl, mix brown sugar, peanut butter and corn syrup, and then microwave them. Take them out form the microwave, add vanilla and then pour on the dry the ingredients. Stir them until it is coated well. And then pour in the pan and set it on the table for an hour and you are done.

These healthy alternatives will surely change your lifestyle to healthy and better living.



Jamie Highland is an article writer on home and family topics. To check out some baby shower candy or some baby shower chocolate, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Baptism - The Purpose of Getting Baptized

Christianity is practiced by many people and baptism plays an important role to every Christian. It is a public declaration of faith through blessing or baptizing with water. This is usually administered by a priest, pastor or minister and witnessed by many people of the same faith and belief. But, do all of us understand the meaning or purpose of getting baptized?

What is the purpose of Baptism?
There are many Christians today who go to church and to them, church family is the lifeblood. People want to take their next step with their walk with God. The first step is getting saved and that heartfelt gift is irreplaceable. Once saved, you are considered a new member of faith of Christ’s body.

The next leap of faith is through baptism. Most Christian churches describe baptism as a step Christians need to take once saved because it is a way that they will show how much they love God. It is like a wedding ring which we know is a symbol of our promise to our loved one. In the same way, this is our promise of love to God.

What are the types of Baptism?
There are various types of baptism. First is “baptism of repentance”, which requires confession of sins and completely turning away from an evil living to a Godly life.

Second is “baptism into the body of Christ” which means that the person came to terms with the bible or scripture. This person is called a born again. It also illustrates “one baptism” which means that no matter what we are and where we come from, we are all the same in the eyes of God.

Third is “baptism in water” which means that when a person has accepted Christ as his/her personal savior, then this kind of baptism is a symbol of a Christian’s declaration of faith through immersion in water.

Fourth is “baptism into the Holy Spirit” which is required for a new believer who desires a triumphant spiritual life in order to empower him/her to live a Godly life. Last is “baptism with fire” which is not a literal kind of fire but the spiritual kind of fire which is the outcome of his faith in God. This is showed by their strong beliefs that don’t waiver in times of sufferings or trials.

Are all Christians baptized with the same method?
Different Christian churches practice different kinds of ways on baptism. Some baptize their babies which is usually called christening. The priest administers the blessing to the baby and the family and relatives surround and witness the christening of a new Christian. The priest sprinkles water on the baby’s head and prays for the baby and the whole family. Other churches baptize the person when they are already grown up and go to the beach or swimming pool and do total immersion in the water as an illustration of baptism. This is usually done by a reverend or pastor.

What are the gifts for newly baptized Christians?
Members of the church normally give gifts to the new Christians. For babies it usually include: angel cookies, baptism gown cookies, cross-designed candle, marshmallows, photo frames and cross necklaces. For grown-ups, some gifts can include: cross designed photo frame, cross key chains, bibles, bible boxes, cross necklaces, cross design bookmarks, holy cross letter openers and many more.




Jamie Highland writes about family and religious topics. To shop for some baptism favors or other related items like baby picture frames, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Monday, July 25, 2011

How to Determine What's the Best Soap to Use for Your Baby

Are you baffled on what kind of soap to buy for your baby? Well, choosing the best soap for your baby can be difficult sometimes. But take it easy and relax, because there are a variety of soaps to choose from that will be right for your baby.

How do I know what’s the best soap for my baby?
Finding the best soap for your baby is something you should take some time to think about. Keeping their skin smooth and clean is usually the priority of parents. Baby soaps play a vital role for a baby’s health. So, because of this, you need to make sure that you use a baby soap that is mild and gentle because a baby’s skin is very sensitive to anything, since they are in a very young and vulnerable stage of their lives.

Make sure that it is hypo-allergenic, so that your baby will not end up having rashes all over their body. It is somewhat normal for babies to have few rashes, since their immune systems aren’t as developed yet, but you can reduce these occurrences by choosing the right products.

Last but not the least is making sure it is free from SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate) which is a chemical usually included as a foaming agent in soaps. It is harsh and can gradually damage the functions of the immune system. This means that it will cause separation of baby’s skin layers or inflammation of the skin. You don’t want that to happen to your baby, so always watch out for this harsh chemical.

What type of soap is best for my baby?
Natural baby soap is often the best choice for your baby. It usually contains all natural ingredients like fruit and plant derived ingredients, natural fragrances and oils that come from olives, coconuts, etc. Of course different brands have different ingredients added as well. Natural soap promises to make your baby’s skin clean, smooth and free from harsh chemicals.

Where can I buy natural soaps?
You can always purchase these soaps at any stores in your local area or even online. There are online specialty stores where you can buy this kind of soap. Just make sure to read reviews and find out the ingredients before rushing to buy them. When shopping in local stores, look at the labels to be sure. Furthermore, you can even find natural baby soap which can be of different shapes, including fun animal shapes. Although they may not be as cheap as ordinary soaps, they are still very affordable.

Finally, when you do choose soap or any other bath product for that matter, be sure to pay attention to how it reacts with your baby’s skin. Although most babies will react well to natural soap products, some may have unknown allergic reactions to certain things. If the soap that you chose aggravates the skin, then you should try something else.

At the end of the day, it is your obligation to really find the best bath products out there for your baby. Take responsibility and remember it is the health of your baby that is on the line, so take some time to carefully choose a bath soap that will be beneficial to your baby.



Jamie Highland is an article writer that writes about baby showers and other events. To see some soap baby shower favors or to check out some other unique baby shower favors, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Make Your Own Poem Magnets for Invitations, Favors, or Thank You Gifts

People of all ages are attracted to and interested in funny and creative forms of writing. Poems are one way of expressing your thoughts. Poem magnets can be used for invitations, favors, or thank you gifts for various occasions. By making your own, you can even customize the image and personalized text.

What are the steps for making my own poem magnets?
First, you will need to type your poem on the computer. You can make it more poetic to describe your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It is always best to choose the proper poem for a specific occasion or event for which you will be making invitations, favors, or thank you gifts.

Once you have decided on the poems you like, the second step is to select lettering and font sizes that are big enough for people to read clearly and easily. It is better to make the word size and font the same, for the readers’ convenience. You can also choose the color of your font. Third, place the magnetic sheets in the printer, and print the document on the magnet sheet. Lastly, wait for the ink of the printed poem to dry and then cut them apart using scissors. You can also handwrite your poem if you prefer by using felt tip pen, but still make sure that the ink is dry before handling or touching the words. You can be proud of yourself for making your own creative poem magnets.

Finding poems and images
The best place to find poems and images is by searching online. There are many poems for various occasions available if you don’t want to write your own. Another source for images is stock photography sites, where you can get professional quality images for just a dollar or two. You can also take your own photos or draw your own image and scan it, if you are artistically inclined.

What are the tips in creating them?
When writing, you will need to consider the gender and age. Why is this? Because children can’t grasp the meaning if a poem is too hard to understand. This means that you need to pick your poems so that they will be readable and understandable by kids, teenagers, and adults. Make sure that the style or color suits the specific event. If you are making poem magnets for invitations for weddings, birthdays, baby showers or thank you gifts, you can make it very fashionable. If you are making invitations for seminars or professional meetings, then you can make a standard or formal style of the font.

So, whatever your goal is in making these poem magnets, remember it is easy to do. You can find the materials, steps and other tips or suggestions in order to come up with some of the best poem magnets out there. You should not worry about the cost, because it doesn’t require much material. With a little time and effort, you can make great personalized poem magnets for any occasion on your computer.




Jamie Highland writes about baby showers and other family topics. To view some baby shower magnets or to see some baby shower bottle stoppers, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Your Parents Won't Let You Get Your Ears Pierced? Try Stylish Magnetic Earrings

Do you want your ears pierced but not allowed to do it? Well, there are parents who are quite old-fashioned when it comes to the style or change their children make, especially on piercings. However, for those who love to wear earrings, don’t worry because there are ways you can enjoy them without getting pierced.

How is this possible?

Nowadays, almost anything and everything can be made possible. Many companies in the jewelry industry have discovered a way to make life easier by creating these stylish magnetic earrings. This is probably the best way to enjoy and be in the crowd with style and elegance. There are so many types of magnetic earrings. These magnets are small and not very noticeable. They actually look like real earrings once fastened to the ear.

Types of magnetic earrings

The clip version is one alternative to be chosen. This seems to be the more widely used style. For hoops and dangles this clip works without much obstruction. Non dangle earrings are a different story because they are too heavy and do not allow the magnet to close properly.

The next type of earring is the spring style. Comfort is a main priority with this style and they fasten with ease. Hoops are used with this apparatus to help the appearance of realism. People like small accessories in their ears and the stud is the prize. According to user reviews, these do not stay on very long and sometimes are lost. Screw fasteners are used to hold these and are effective.

Another style is the slide and it is often the least expensive. For these types of earrings, you get what you pay for. Consumers want the best product and out of all the styles to be reviewed, the dangle earring is the most popular. These come in two different patterns which include the chandelier and drop earrings. These are the slimmest in design and accessorize with the slightest touch of style. It seems this can be matched with almost everything. Huge earrings are not the way to go in this generation. Magnets sound more affordable, stylish and pretty.

What choice do we need to make the balance?

Earrings have been a trend for a long time. The usage varies from the person’s culture or tradition. In United States, ear piercing is something normal for everyone. However, there are still parents who oppose this. So, whether your parents want you to put holes on your ears or not, magnetic earrings are a choice to consider. When using these, you not only obey and respect your parents, but you get the chance to enjoy the beauty of earrings, without getting pierced.

We have proven that style is always a fad in today’s society. At least nowadays we know we have a safe alternative. Magnets are practical and easy to adjust too. The costs are affordable for all walks of life and earrings can now be enjoyed by everyone.



Jamie Highland is an article writer who enjoys baby showers and other events. To check out some other magnetic items like baby shower magnets or to view some baby shower cookie cutters, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Make Unique Baby Shower Favors from Common Store Items

You are having a baby and you want to formally announce it with your closest friends and relatives. Then it’s time to party. Let’s have a baby shower!

Making preparations for a baby shower can also be frustrating. There are lots of things that need to be planned and set properly like the venue, foods, and of course, baby shower favors. Baby showers are not one-way gift giving. Your guests (close friends and relatives) also deserve to have something that they’ll surely cherish. But there is one simple requirement when it comes to giving favors - creativity.

Do-it-yourself shower favors are great for creating a unique favor. All you need are simple raw materials, a little creativity and some time and you are all set. Baby shower favors don’t need to be expensive. The cost should be considered first-hand for you will be giving not just one, not two, but a lot of these favors. In fact, you can find everything you need at your local department or grocery store.

In grocery stores, you can find a lot of goodies that can be easily transformed into something amazing. Listed below are just a few of the many examples that everyone can try:

Chocolate Filled Feeding Bottles
You can buy a few sets of small feeding bottles from department stores and then fill each bottle with Hershey’s kisses or nibble sized chocolates like M&Ms.

Soap Favors
One practical baby shower favor idea is the use of soaps. Surely everyone will like these since all of us use soaps. Soaps are common and consistent products inside grocery stores. You can buy some depending on the number of the invited guests and then craft them with baby themed shapes like ducks, teddy bears, feeding bottles, and more.

Socks and Mints
These are baby socks filled with mint candies. Color of the socks can vary depending on the gender of the upcoming baby.

Candle Filled Tea Cups
Provided that you know how to make candles at home, these baby shower favors will just be a piece of cake. If not, you can just buy small tablet candles that can fit inside the cups.

Mirror Miniatures or Picture Frames
If your baby shower is planned after your baby is born, you take a picture of him/her and place one in each of the picture frames.

Cookies Wrapped with Baby Themed Transparent Cellophanes
Cookies are appropriate baby favors for they can be easily packed and of course delicious. Most if not all of your guests will like the idea.

Time should be properly considered when it comes to planning your baby shower. This will give you more time allowance to decide and prepare for your baby shower favors. You can also ask one or two of your closest friends or relatives for some assistance to get things done.



Jamie Highland is a writer who enjoys events like weddings and baby showers. For more unique baby shower favors and ideas, including baby shower coffee, visit My Baby Shower Favors

5 Unique Gifts for Baby Showers

You haven’t seen a close friend of yours and word just came to you that she’s already expecting a baby. She invited you to come over for a baby shower. You got so excited to see her again and want to give her something special that will definitely stand out among the rest. But the problem is you don’t know exactly what unique gift to bring for the baby shower.

Before, baby showers were traditional gatherings where female friends and relatives of the would-be parents come together to welcome the first-born. These women share wisdom and advice to help the future mom become more prepared in parenting. Gifts are also presented in this kind of occasion. Through time, a lot has changed. Even the male friends and relatives can come over a baby shower and give gifts as well. Obviously, these days, you can expect a lot of gifts to be brought to a baby shower.

If you have been informed long before the actual day of the party, then you are lucky to have enough time to prepare and plan a unique baby shower gift to bring. Choices for baby shower gifts are like a long parade and you can end up confused and frustrated in coming up with a unique one. Although it is not necessary to spend a lot on a baby shower gift, you should still be prepared to spend a considerable amount if you are trying to find something unique.

Here are 5 unique gift ideas you could use for a baby shower:

1. A Shelf of Children’s Books – A single book can earn you thanks. A set of classic stories is impressive. But a whole shelf is a very thoughtful gift that will give the new mom plenty of reading material. Your would-be parent friend will get excited to read those stories to her baby and increase their bond together.

2. Outdoor Fun Kit – First time parents are expected to be excited all the time with their baby. In their first months as a family, you can expect a lot of outdoor activities. And to avoid any mishaps, your outdoor fun kit can do the rest of the job. You can include in your kit some diapers and wipes, an extra set of baby outfits, some rattles, mom’s extra shirt, a face towel, a small notebook and a pen.

3. Bigger Sized Clothes – It’s pretty sure that even days before the baby shower, the future parents are already flooded with baby clothing gifts. Baby clothes is considered as an all time gift favorite but you can still stand out by giving some in larger fits.

4. Organize a group of friends to commit for a much bigger and extra special gift - With your friends committed to spend some amount for a group gift, you can give almost anything that the future parents might need. But before anything else, you should first consider knowing what the future parents already have and what they still need to have.

5. The future mom also deserves to receive a gift – a baby shower will be full of gifts for the baby but the mom is more likely to be left out. You may surprise the mom with scented lotions, a new book from her favorite author, a gift certificate from a spa or massage parlor or a pedicure/manicure set.



Jamie Highland writes about various family topics, including baby showers. To check out some unique baby shower favors or to browse through some baby shower keychains, visit My Baby Shower Favors.