Smokin' Cupcakes for Dad!

Our Father's Day special isn't over yet! It's still several days away, but who says you should only that special man feel extra special once this month? How about making it a Father's Week?

If your kids love tinkering around with you in the kitchen, get them to be your little bakers and make these sweet treats fro Dad! If he loves barbecues, or if he loves sweets, or even better: if he loves both, give him this surprise treat from Disney Family Fun:

A GRATE GIFT FOR DAD

Ingredients:
brownie batter
black foo coloring
white frosting
orange sugar
caramel crams
red, yellow and green candy fruit slices
Hot Tamales candies

Instructions:
1. To make a batch of 12, place liners in a muffin pan, oil them, and fill them two thirds full of your favorite brownie batter, then bake according to the recipe directions. Let the brownies cool.

2. In a small bowl, mix one or two drops of black food coloring with 1/4 cup white frosting. Transfer the frosting to a ziplock bag and snip a small section from the corner. Pipe grate lines onto each brownie and let them set for 20 minutes. Add embers with a sprinkle of orange sugar.

3. Prepare the grill food as instructed below and press it in place atop each brownie.

Kebabs = A caramel cream and red, yellow, and green candy fruit slices, cut into small pieces + toothpick skewers

Pork chop = two thirds of a caramel cream, molded with fingers + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick

Hot dogs = Hot Tamales candies + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick

More fun and easy recipes and ideas at Disney Family Fun's website!

Images from Disney Family Fun.

A Day for Mama

You rarely ever meet anyone else in all your life who would love you as much as your momma did. It's a shining example of unconditional love--how she would accept you despite of you, without fail and almost to a fault. This month, why not celebrate your mother for all of May, and not just on one day?

Here are Baby Sugar's list of not-so-common Mother's Day Gift Ideas:

A Cleanup Fairy "I love playing with all of my kids' toys. I despise arguing with them over cleaning them up. Half of our battles would never exist if a cleanup fairy could suddenly appear to whisk them all away."

Photography Lessons "As the official photographer in our family, I try to get the perfect shot every time. Over the past four years, my family has gifted me with all of the necessary equipment, now I'd love learn how to properly use it, and take it off of the automatic settings."

A Stress- (and cleanup) free Family Dinner "The idea of a family dinner that doesn't include having to think up a menu, chasing kids around the table, mopping up spilled drinks, or rushing through the meal sounds positively divine."

Focused Playground Time

"I'd love an afternoon (or two or three) at the playground with my tots where I could honestly focus all of my attention on them. Not worrying about how I will get my errands done, the emails that need answering, the calls that need to be returned, or the dinner that needs to be prepared. Just an afternoon of uninterrupted fun at my kids' favorite place."

More gift ideas here!

Of course, don't forget our No Slippy Hair Clippy hair accessories for women! Our clippys aren't only for babies or toddlers, we have a whole range of sophisticated styles for women. The lovely lady in the photo is wearing a Wendy Hearts with Tails clippy:


To see more choices for women, please do visit our site www.hairclippy.com! We're sure you'll find something your mom would adore.

Sweets for Your Sweet

Valentine's Day may be a long way to go, but that shouldn't stop you from giving away some sweet lovin'. Here's a sweet (literally!) giveaway idea from teaching-tiny-tots.com. To make it sweeter, ask your little darling to give you a hand. It's so easy! Be careful, though, your little helper might want some for him/herself!



What you'll need:
2 clear cone-shaped pastry bags (usually in stores with cake decorating supplies)
small bowls
spoon
2 twist ties or 2 small rubber bands
hot cocoa mix
small marshmallows
1 red gumdrop
mini chocolate chips
ribbon
small gift card
small measuring cup with lip
scissors

What to do:
1. Put marshmallow in a bowl.
2. Put the chocolate chips in a second bowl.
3. Pour 3-4 packets of cocoa into one of the cone-shaped pastry bags. You can measure with a small measuring cup to make it easier to pour.
4. Twist right above the cocoa and secure with a twist tie or small rubber band.
5. Trim extra plastic on top, leaving an inch.
6. Place cocoa-filled pastry bag into another empty plastic pastry bag.
7. Place 3-4 tablespoons of chocolate chips so that they are layered on top of the cocoa.
8. Add marshmallows to add top layer.
9. Place red gumdrop on top.
10. Twist the bag shut and secure with a twist tie or small rubber bands.
11. Add a ribbon and gift card. Be creative! Your card can say: "Here's a gift that will warm you up. Just add some hot water and stir into your favorite cup."

It's perfect for ANY occasion! To warm up your loved ones on Christmas eve, as a sweet greeting for a birthday (your chocoholic friends would love it), as an alternative "treat" for Trick or Treaters on Halloween, or even just to comfort on a blah day.

Image courtesy of teaching-tiny-tots.com.

Gifts Kids Can Make

Okay, Christmas is SERIOUSLY just around the corner. There's no denying it anymore at this point. If you haven't done any gift shopping yet, you may want to start thinking about it now. But if you don't fancy getting into the mad, mad Christmas rush, why not make the gifts yourself? And to make it fun (or, inevitably, very challenging), let your kids join in! When they see you tinkering with all the arts and crafts, they'd want to join in anyway...

AmazingMoms.com has lots of great gift suggestions, including easy-to-follow step-by-step procedures for each one. Each gift requires very little materials to make. You might even already have some lying around at home! The gifts are categorized according to kids ages. The ones for kids aged 2-6 are easier, while those for kids aged 9 and up are a wee bit more difficult. But all gifts are lovely and since you're making them, will be all the more special to the recipient.

Here's one that I really liked:

REINDEER CRAFT TREAT HOLDER





You'll need:
scissors
craft glue, glue stick or glue dots
terracotta clay pots (2"-5")
plastic eyes
red pom-poms
three shades of brown craft foam, cardstock paper or construction paper

How to make it:
1. With one shade of brown, cut the antlers to match the size of your pot. If you are making the large reindeer, use a child's handprint as pattern.
2. Cut the ears with the other shad of brown. You can use a lighter shade of brown to add yet another layer to the ears, but it's not necessary.
3. Attach the ears to the back of the pot. Then add the antlers.
4. Glue the eyes and nose to the front of the pot.
5. Fill the pot with candy, nuts or other goodies. It's that simple!

Click here for more gift ideas.

Image courtesy of AmazingMoms.com