Children's Birthday Cooking Party Ideas & Invitations

Trying to decide what theme to use for your kid's birthday can be exciting or can give you anxiety.  I love planning birthday parties and take great joy in each and every one I get to plan.  Last year, we had a Ratatouille cooking party for my six year old.  It was loads of fun with coordinated invitations, cake, games and so much more.

I purchased child size inexpensive aprons and chef hats from Oriental Trading Company which served as station one to greet the kids when they arrived.  With the help of foam letter stickers and markers, each child was able to add their name to the apron and decorate both the hat and apron to uniquely fit their personality.  It also took time to allow everyone to arrive and they were able to take home their aprons and hats since their names made it easy to sort.

After the decorating, Ratatouille was playing on the big screen TV and I had Ratatouille decorations all over the house.  The second stage was the pizza making area.  I bought several toppings and frozen pizza dough from our local Publix.  Each girl had their own little rolling pin to take home and they were able to make their own little pizza.  Once they were done with that, they moved to the cupcake decorating station and I purchased boxes so they could take their cupcakes home.  We had many toppings and icing to make each one special.

While the pizza cooked and cooled, we went outside and played some games for prizes and broke open the pinata.  We then ate pizza and had a delicious Ratatouille cake that I had specially made from a local at home baker.

Opening presents ended the finale with each girl expressing how much fun it was and each parent telling me how brave I was.   It was great fun!

I customized my own invitations, t-shirts, posters and button from Zazzle.

Cooking Party Template: Black and White by jbranam
Postcards by zazzle

This is another example that you can create or purchase from Zazzle:

Kids Cooking Party Invitation Customize by jbranam
Shop for another greeting card online at zazzle

Etsy Seller Showcase

This is my tribute to the Etsy seller entrepreneurs who try to make a little extra spending money or use their sales to live off of. 

I have my store on Zazzle so I know how nice the extra here and there means.  With that, I want to use this space to promote unique, special or great products.  Know one that should be added, let me know!

The Etsy Spotlight:

Made at Nana's House - beautiful, trendy and cute clothes for kids and more.  Click here for my post.

TabbyCat13 - Creative and wonderful cakes, cookies and more.  Post coming soon!

Simple Luxury - Handcrafted jewerly, wine glass charms and more. Click here for my post for Simple Luxury.

HTM Designs - Special occasion wrappers, coloring pages and much more for parties and every day.  Click here for my post for HTM Designs.

Little Girl Creations - Hair bows, clothing for little girls and bottle cap creations.  Click here for my post for Little Girl Creations.

Creative Clam - Bags, purses, magnets, medical alerts, collectibles and much more.  Click here for my post for Creative Clam.

Tiny Trees - Hand crafted wood jewerly and Scrabble pendants.  Click here for my post for Tiny Trees.

Sweet Harvey's Shop - Wonderful cards and other great products.  Click here for my post on Sweet Harvey's.

Michellenstamps - Adorable cards and more. Click here for my post on Michellenstamps.

Intentions - Beautiful hand made soaps and more.  Click here for my post on Intentions.

The Preppy Peach Boutique - Amazing handmade baby hats and hats for others.  Click here for my post on the Preppy Peach Boutique.

Congratulations to Heather! Winning Sears $50 Gift Card & Reminder

Congratulations to "Heather!" as she was the random.org winner of my reader loyalty Sears gift card giveaway.

An e-mail has just been sent to her confirming her e-mail and she has responded!

Thanks to all those who entered and stay tuned for more great giveaways!

As a reminder, always check your spam box as half of my winners find my e-mails in there.  The other sure way of ensuring if you won is to subscribe or check back daily.

See Where Reader Loyalty Can Get You?

Great news as Jennifer (JK) contacted me for the surprise second place winner of Misikko's giveaway.  As a thank you to all those who entered, I bought Jennifer a Babyliss Pro Mini Flat Iron from Misikko that comes with a free heating mat and pouch.

Still waiting to hear back from Gina who won the Hana Flat Iron.

Thanks again to everyone who reads, comments and enters!  The more readers and entries I have, the more possibility I will have in securing more giveaways.

Last Day to Enter $50 Sears Gift Card Giveaway

Hurry as today is the last day to enter the $50 Sears Gift Card giveaway!  You have until midnight tonight (EST) with many options for extra entries.

Thanks for entering!

Next Reader Loyalty Giveaway for March: You Decide

What you would like to see as the next giveaway within reason!  In preparation for March's reader loyalty giveaway, what do you want to see?

$50 Gift Card to Amazon, Zazzle, Walmart, Paypal cash, etc?  Workout package of Wii games and more?  Beauty pack of surprises?

Misikko Hana & Babyliss WinnerS Announced

Thanks to all the great entrants and those that went above and entered via bonus entries!   This contest offered a secondary surprise prize!

Congratulations to Gina who won the Missiko Hana Flat Iron

and

Jennifer (JK) who won the Babyliss Pro Mini Flat Iron!

Both entrants have had e-mails sent and have 48 hours to respond before new winners will be selected.

Apologies for the delay but had sick kiddos and it took quite a bit of time to go through and ensure entrants were valid (followed the rules of the giveaway).

Thanks again to all those who entered and those who blogged, tweeted and entered other giveaways!  Every now and then, I like to throw in second winners so I hope everyone had fun with this giveaway.

Misikko Hana Winner Announced Tomorrow

For those of you waiting to see the winner, I've been busy tackling sick kids and ER's but promise to announce the winner tomorrow for the Hana Flat Iron.  It has taken a little time to sort through and ensure the mandatory entries were completed.

Thanks for your patience!

Holey Donuts February Review & Giveaway 2/28

Have you heard of Holey Donuts?  If you are on the blogosphere, you probably have!  They are a healthy way to enjoy what is normally little packed full sin pills of greatness for your taste buds but bad for your butt!  

The Review:

I received complimentary samples of Holey Donuts and was skeptical on how good donuts frozen and received in the mail could be good?  I was so wrong!

I received the Sampler Favorite B, Jumbo Reduced Fat Cinnamon Buns (Assortment #7) and Reduced Fat Vanilla Frosted Boston Cream (Assortment #17).

My favorites were the Jumbo Cinnamon Buns and the Vanilla Frosted Boston Cream donuts.  Both were tender, moist and amazingly good.  I can't seem to find a good Boston Cream donut where I live so this was such a treat!  The amount of filling was just right whereas some Boston Cream donuts are skimpy with the cream but these were perfect.  The Cinnamon Buns were flaky, tasty, moist and very good.  After they thawed out, I warmed them in the microwave and it was heavenly!

My children loved the ones with sprinkles and chocolate chips.  They wanted more so I guess I'll have to buy some!

The shipping method allowed my donuts to arrive still frozen as they were meant to be.  The cooler is great in that it can be reused for bringing back something that needs to be kept cold or in the case of my husband, for fishing.

Holey Donuts offers a huge selection of donuts to appeal to any taste.  They are fresh, soft and aren't missing the taste of being reduced fat.  If you are a donut lover, you have to try these as they help to remove some of the guilt while leaving all of the pleasure!


The Giveaway:

In this round of giveaways, Holey Donuts is giving away a PRIZE PACK to one lucky reader!  Sound good?

The February Love Assortment consists of 4 boxes of their latest, best selling, super yummy Holey Donuts! Low Fat Treats and $250 Holey Donuts! store credit good for 1 year. 

It's easy to enter:

Go to http://www.holeydonuts.net/ and click on the "contact us" link. 
Enter YouthfulTips.blogspot.com in the subject line
Enter your name and email address and you are done!
Please only enter once and don't forget to sign up for their newsletter!

BONUS:  If you submit your information via the entry requirements and enter my blog name, you can have five bonus entries to any and all of my on-going giveaways!

A little about Holey Donut:

Did you know the average donut has 15-20 grams of fat and as much as 480 calories?

Our patented cooking process avoids deep frying, creating a light, fluffy donut with as little as 3-4 grams of fat and 150-250 calories. You'd actually have to eat 4 of our full-sized, delicious donuts to get the amount of fat in just one traditional donut. What's more amazing is that we do not use any artificial sweeteners or fat substitutes to make our great tasting donuts. Unlike other "lite" or low fat foods, nothing about these donuts tastes low fat.

Our donuts are hand-made, flash frozen and delivered via express mail to arrive at your door, picture perfect and delicious! Keep in your freezer for a great low fat and low calorie treat anytime!

Free shipping today, February 23, 2010!

• Order any 3 to 5 assortments of our award winning low fat donuts,100 calorie cinnamon bun middles or great tasting low fat donut holes and get FREE SHIPPING TODAY!
• Then in the coupon code box enter code FRSH hit recalculate and enjoy the savings!

*Disclaimer:  I received complimentary Holey Donuts to try from the sponsor.  The opinions reflected in my post are my own and no other form of compensation was provided.

The Beauty of Canned Foods

Using canned foods is an often overlooked luxery of cooking.  I think many might wonder about the cleansiness and toxic level of foods that are canned.  When TwitterMoms offered a chance to learn more and blog in conjunction with The Canned Food Alliance, I learned a lot. 

For example:

• Dry edible beans are dried in their pods naturally.
• Beans go through a seven step cleansing process and are sorted before going to the canning facility.
• Beans are high in fiber, fat free and can be used straight from the can. 
• The darker the bean, the more oxidants. 
• Tomatoes are picked at their prime to not lose nutrients and are cleaned prior to the canning process.
• Cans are reusable for life

What I love the most about canned foods are the convenience and variety.  One of my favorite uses of canned foods is chili because it's so easy to make and convenient.

Turkey Chili

• Chili seasoning mix (any brand)
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 2 cans of Bush's hot beans (love hot food)
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1 med onion diced
• 1/2 t garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 pound of ground turkey

In a large skillet, saute onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add ground turkey and cook until browned.

Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

It can't be much easier than that!  Serve it up with sour cream or cheese for some variety.



Watch the Field to Table Video

Canned Food Alliance

About Canned Food Alliance:

The Canned Food Alliance is a partnership of the American Iron and Steel Institute’s Steel Packaging Council, the Can Manufacturers Institute, select food processors and affiliate members. The CFA serves as a resource for information on the nutrition, convenience, contemporary appeal and versatility of canned food. The CFA is a proud supporter of the Produce for Better Health Foundation and the Fruits and Veggies More Matters program. For hundreds of mealtime solutions, visit www.mealtime.org.

Ficklets For Kids and Fashionable Women

I have posted before about Ficklets and I keep posting because I think it's such a great product!  Growing up with glasses, I remember the stigma behind them and how uncooll they were.  The choices back in the day of the dinosaurs, well maybe not that long ago, were not fun and in fact, they were downright ugly.  Kids have so many choices but never had they had the choice to customize their glasses with cute, adorable, fashionable and sporty charms like they do now.

Many of the Ficklets are catered towards girls which is where I'd expect the desire to come from as let's face it, us girls are stylish and fashionable.  There are choices for boys such as if he is an avid basketball, baseball, football or soccer fan.  The skulls under holidays would appeal to most boys too!

For the girls, there are so many choices ranging from flowers, hearts, ballet shoes, animals, stars, food to shapes.  I love the exotic animals and can imagine a little boy or girl sporting panda bears or giraffes on their frames.

Ficklets were created to fit on the template area of the frames.  They are easily attached and can be exchanged for a new set at anytime.  The cost allows a parent to buy more than one set thus increasing the likelihood your child will be excited to wear their glasses.

The selection under "classic" are very appealing to the tween, teen or older woman.  They are stylish, elegant and add such a nice sublte bling factor that you can't pass up.  I had to have some and they make my glasses look amazing!

If you have a child who wears glasses or wear glasses yourself, check out http://www.ficklets.com/ and you won't be disappointed.  The brilliant owner, Ros, is amazing and wonderful and great to work with!


*Disclaimer:  I was not paid nor compensated for this post.  I just love Ficklets!

Misikko, Sears $50 GC & More Giveaways Ending Soon & New Giveaways

Don't forget to enter the Misikko Hana Flat Iron giveaway ending tomorrow night at midnight (EST).  It's a great flat iron and anyone who buys flat irons knows how hard it is to find a good one let alone a high quality one that is FREE! 

What's better than free other than chocolate or Gerard Butler?

Other great giveaways are on-going as well and remember, the more you enter, the more businesses will be inclined to provide giveaways which I really enjoy giving away!

Today is a good day, my normal severe asthmatic/allergy prone two year old caught a bad cold on top of the stomach bug she had last weekend/early week and so far, is holding her own.  Normally we would be rushing to the ER but with everyday medication maintenance, we haven't had to resort to the rescue med or the hospital.  Any prayers appreciated as she has a bad croupy cough and isn't out of the woods yet!


YouthfulTips Misikko Hana Flat Iron Giveaway (200+ Value) 2/21
YouthfulTips $50 Sears GC Giveaway 2/25
YouthfulTips Holey Donuts 4 Pack and $250 Store Credit Giveaway 2/28
Youthfultips Hero Nutritionals Gummy Bear Vitamins 2 Bottles Each/2 Winners 3/2
YouthfulTips LuShae $50 Paypal Giveaway 3/8
YouthfulTips Your Shape Jenny McCarthy Wii Game Giveaway 3/10
YouthfulTips EA Active More Workouts Giveaway 3/10
YouthfulTips Simply FaBOWlous Headband for Kids Giveaway 3/10

Oxidants, Sugar and Processed Foods Effect on Wrinkles

Did you know free radicals are everywhere?  Do you know what a radical is?  I'm not talking about some renegade person rather something occurring naturally ...everywhere.  Sun exposure, exercising, chemicals, smoke are just examples of how you can be exposed to radicals.  Free radicals are molecules or atoms that lost one of its electrons and is unstable since losing it's other pair.  Sounds like my oldest if she doesn't have chocolate nearby.  Due to the instability nature of these atoms and molecules, they seek out a partner by attacking you thus increasing the instability in your body. 

Anti-oxidants, nutrients that protect your body from these free radicals or oxidation, are easily obtained and have been proven to slow the aging process along with many other disease states.  Studies have found that by eating eight to 10 servings a day of a fiber rich diet with fruits and vegetables is the best defense.  Foods such as brocolli, spinach, colorful berries, beans, tea, garlic, nuts, salmon are just examples of healthy foods that do your body good.

Another good tip is to avoid processed and refined sugars and foods.  The chemicals contained in these foods prematurely age skin.  Sugar, when consumed, reaches your bloodstream in a process called glycation and attaches to the proteins forming new molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs).  The more sugar you consume, the more AGEs are developed.  AGEs accumulate and promote further breakdown of collagen and elastin thus advanced wrinkles and sagginess.

As always, the cure is to eat healthier, avoid refined and processed foods, exercise, get plenty of rest, drink lots of water and laugh!  Get rid of the stress and laugh and find out what Jacyln Smith does as she never ages or has lots of air brush artist following her around.

I Bought Them! Earth Footwear's ExerWalk

After seeing all the write ups and tweets from BookieBoo (Twitter and Mamavation) and ResourcefulMom (Twitter and ResourcefulMom) as well as others with the 30 day Earth Footwear challenge, the exposure worked and curiousity set off.  With the motto of "turbo-charge your walk," Earth Footwear has four colors to choose from to fit any style:

• Dary Gray (mens/womens)
• Pink (womens)
• Desert (men/womens)
• Sky Blue (womens)

If you are wondering what makes the ExerWalk so special, it's in the technology.

Kalsø® Negative Heel Technology®

The most defining feature of Earth footwear is Kalsø® Negative Heel Technology® – a unique inclined sole that positions the toes 3.7º higher than the heels. The slight angle shifts weight subtly back over the heels, and can help strengthen and tone the body while also burning calories.

Anatomic Arch Support


To complement Kalsø® Negative Heel Technology®, all Earth footwear features reinforced support through the arch. The arch support maximizes the effectiveness of the heel design in promoting a natural walking motion.

BioFoam™ Cushioning


Inside all Earth footwear, a form-fitting footbed provides exceptional comfort with BioFoam™ cushioning. The proprietary material molds to the shape of the foot, displacing and absorbing shock with each step, and is environmentally-considerate, using 70% recycled content.

I purchased a pair of shoes from Curves via Avon when they first came out but after being called Frankenstein by my husband and laughed at by my oldest, I couldn't wear them outside.  The ExerWalk look like normal athletic shoes and look great.  For my own 30 day challenge, I picked the pink ExerWalks and hope to receive them early next week to start. 
 
Stay tuned to see if I stick to the plan and if it helps!
 

 

Join Moms Meet: Learning to Live Greener

Moms Meet is sponsored by Kiwi Magazine and Earth's Best to educate and share knowledge on living greener. If you are one of many who don't necessarily recycle or choose products that are best for the environment, it's okay as living green also encompasses living healthier.  Living healthier also encompasses choosing products that are organic in nature.  I picked up on choosing products that are organic due to health concerns of products containing artificial flavorings, sugar substitutes, processed flours and sugars along with a host of other chemicals and additives that really aren't fully understood in the long term relative to safety.

Moms Meet encourages moms to meet up and form groups in their communities to broaden the knowledge available to live greener, to live healthier.  It's full of great articles ranging from your family to you which is something us busy moms neglect to take care of.

You can join Earth's Best for valuable coupons, offers and more information articles.