DIY - A Super Cute Baby Announcement

Just to set the record straight, No I am not expecting! But a couple of my close friends are. And all these ultra cute chats we've been having about tiny feet and little baby hands reminded me of a cake I once made for a friend's baby shower, and the chocolate chip cookie jars I made for party favours (the mother's favourite cookies).

I am thinking that the DIY cookie jar is a super cute way to announce expecting a baby.

You know how when you are expecting, you can't wait to tell the world and share the joy with everyone. Well if you have to wait for the first trimester to pass, then you have all the time in the world to make that announcement super cute. Instead of just rushing to the phone and calling every one in your contacts list, why not send them a jar of cookies with an announcement card? It just makes that moment extra special.

Since you are at it, why not actually invite your friends over for an afternoon tea, make this super easy cake, some extra cookies? Then, once your friends are over, hand out the cookie jars and serve your delightful bakes with tea....
Sounds difficult? Don't worry it is all much easier than you think! Read on...

The Perfect Kid's Birthday Party

bring that Magical Moment to your child's birthday

A little bit of imagination goes a long way! Kids love imaginary things, give them that and they will be happy

Kids' Birthdays are some mothers' nightmare! What to do, where to have it, which day, what time, what theme, who to invite, invitation cards, thank you notes, party favours, & the Menu, the Cake, the BUDGET... after all that, and most importantly, will my child like it?? Yes, all parents go through all of this. We all want the best for our children, we all want picture-perfect memories and who doesn't love a bash?

However, throwing a fabulous birthday party doesn't necessarily mean a hotel's turf, luxury linen-covered seating arrangement, flown in catering from France, the world's best cake decorator in your kitchen, Justin Bieber performing live, fireworks, helicopter rides and bags of gold coins to give out as party favours! Oh, and not to forget the grand finale of clapping crowds in recognition of the world's best mother... While that will probably make your child very happy and yourself very proud, children are way easier to please than you think. It is WE who are very demanding and hard to please!

Not A Professional Cake Decorator? Cake Decorating Cheats To Make A decorator Out Of Anyone

Army Themed Kids Party Cake Top View

So you can bake delicious cakes, you can also make delectable frostings, maybe pipe a message on that cake, and even throw the odd fondant cutout... so you can create a cake with a few decorations. But when it comes to creating an impressive party cake, you feel you can't! After all, you think: I am not a cake decorator. Well it could be true, not everyone is a talented and skillful cake decorator. But if you still want to decorate an impressive themed cake, who says you can't? Only you do!

You see if you are a professional cake decorator there are rules, there are do's and don't's. After all, professional cake decorators need to please a client. They need to show case skill and talent and have a competitive edge. They sometimes have to create some complex structures and designs as well. So yes, if you are not one, looking at cake decorating from this angle will definitely tell you, you can't decorate a cake. However, when you decorate your own cake the sky is the limit! You can do whatever you want to give the cake shape, design, and even details. There are no rules (provided you bake an edible and preferably tasty cake and frosting), no need to posses the steadiest hands to pipe, and not even a sculpture's abilities. All you need is a vision and tools to help you carry out that vision. Then you too can decorate your kids' birthday cakes and have everyone rave about how beautiful the cake looks. How? Read on...

From Scratch - Making Crispy Treats for Cake Decorating

& A Cute Little Pirate Cake

Small ideas go a long way!

I was decorating my daughter's cake yesterday, and thought to cut corners - time wise - so instead of making gumpaste, or crispy treats, I went for modelling the figurines using fondant. I had already made fondant for covering the cake, so it seemed like the best option. Modelling with fondant usually works, especially with small figurines, however it is not the best option, as fondant can get soft and at times not hold shape. Because the figurines I was making were mostly black, and you know how incorporating black into white fondant means using a lot of colour, and over working the fondant, which ultimately makes it super soft. Yes, I was struggling with those figurines which started out looking fab, but then drooped into fat and deformed figurines! Come to think of it, the time I spent trying to fix the issue took way longer than making gumpaste, or crispy treats! Also, had I gone for either one would have resulted in good looking figurines, instead of my unhealthy ones that looked like they spent a lifetime binge eating! In the end, her cake looked nice, but I could have saved myself a lot of frustration!