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Sometimes when you know there is a special day coming up and you need to plan a party for your kids it can all feel a bit overwhelming. Thankfully these days there are so many resources to help you look like the perfect party hostess. Even if you have never planned a party in your life you can look like you do this kind of thing every day.

Whether you need a personalized Bar Mitzvah Invitation an idea for a party theme or a place to buy party supplies everything is online so that you can plan your party with confidence.

All good parties start with a great theme. For kids this can be anything from the ever popular Thomas the Tank Engine, Disney Princess, a spooky Halloween party, or an outdoor summer pool party. There are so many ideas out there it can be difficult to choose. Most likely your child will let you know their ideas for a theme. Involving your child from the start is all part of making this process a lot of fun.

If you are looking for a theme for your party then a great place to start is Parties for Kids which has so many
ideas and resources for planning that special party!

The next thing you have to decide is the location for your party. Do you want to host it at home or will you rent somewhere? The home option is of course the least cost option but then have to deal with the mess and disruption yourself. Paying for a location may be an easier choice but you will have to stretch the budget.

The next thing you will need to go is to find some great party supplies. It is very easy to find these online. Whether you need a Minnie Mouse balloon or a Harry Potter table cover you can easily find what you are looking for. You can often buy economical party supply kits which include things like invitations, banners, cups, plates and napkins.

Every party needs a cake. Are you going to buy this or is this something you can do yourself? There are so many products which can now make a very simple cake look like a masterpiece. I can bake a cake but decorating it is just not my thing, so I always look for ways to personalize a cake the easy way! There are lots of themed cake toppers which you can just add to a home made or store bought cake. Here are some great examples if you have a Disney Princess in your house and want to make a Tangled Birthday Cake.

Whichever theme you choose remember that the reason why you are having this party is for everyone to enjoy the experience. And that includes you! Don’t get stressed out about everything having to be perfect. Kids tend to like the simplest things like being with their friends. So make sure that you take some time out for yourself and actually enjoy the experience!

Photo credit lovemaegan

This is a sponsored post but my opinions are my own. ou can read my policy here

Since I was very young I have always wanted to travel abroad. Funny coming from a girl who is 30,  only visited two US states, and been out of the country once…on a cruise (does that even count?). I don’t want to just travel the world and visit the “tourist” attractions, but I want to wander off the beaten path and see what life is really like in other countries around the world.

I long to see what’s happening just outside of Rome or what really goes on inside a local bakeries in Tuscany.  I want to see roofers in nottingham and gardners in leeds working hard to make a living for their families. I want to see what life is really like for the people who live in these countries, not just what the tourists get to “see”.

I subscribe to all of the travel magazines and I enjoy reading about travels through others eyes.  I’m awe inspired by those who strap their little ones to them, hop on an airplane, and backpack around Europe.  But, I wonder if it’s really as “easy” to travel with kids as they make it out to be.

My little ones are my first priority and that means that traveling abroad takes great thought and planning. Truth be told, I haven’t even considered traveling abroad since becoming pregnant with my first daughter. But now, they are finally to an age where I think that dream could finally become a reality.  I will certainly tread lightly as I begin our journeys and cross my fingers that traveling with kids is really as easy as they make it look!

Have you traveled abroad with kids in tow?  Is really as simple as they make it out to be?

We cut cable in our house about 3 years ago for various reasons. The foremost being that we wanted to have complete control of what was being “sold” to our children. However, when we are on vacation I find myself flipping through the channels in an attempt to land on the Disney Channel or PBS so I can catch just a few moments of silence before heading off on our next adventure.

Within 5 minutes I have two little girls yelling “mommy, I want that”, whether it be some new Barbie, or even a “boy themed” toy that I’ve never heard of.  Then, in the background I heard it – “has your child suffered a heart related illness due to anti-depressants taken during pregnancy”?

Um, excuse me?

It seems that medical solicitors are all over the television today (of course, this is news to me), but I must admit that my heart skipped a beat when I heard that message. I took a small dose of anti-depressants while pregnant with my first daughter, and after consulting with my OB at the time, the benefits outweighed the potential risks (which I was informed were very small). Now, my daughter has no health problems, nor does she have a heart issue, however hearing those claims all of these years later certainly makes you rethink the choices that you once made.

I am aware that people make claims that are not necessarily substantial and that many of the companies handling the cases are working on a no win no fee basis, however I think it would make any mother reevaluate her choices when the threat seems so real – not that we can change those choices now.

One things for sure. I won’t be turning on the television again anytime soon!

Weigh in! Did you take medication during pregnancy that you worry could cause harm in later years?  Have you been affected by such claims?

Being here in Yosemite, I have learned that summer is pretty much here! We were lucky enough to come into the valley at the moment it began to snow and were in a winter wonderland for about six hours before it stopped. By morning, the snow was nearly gone, however we were thrilled that the girls were able to experience a winter wonderland while we are here.

With spring/summer now upon us, we are beginning to think about the improvements we would like to make around our home to better enjoy the summer season. Our back patio is not covered, so typically each year we purchase a patio covering and call it a day. Our back patio isn’t big enough to do much, but this year we decided it’s time to change all of that and at the very least, add a small sitting area where we can enjoy a cool drink and watch the girls play.

The Problem? The dogs eat everything!

After doing a quick online search, I came across Rattan garden furniture from Bridgman, although Bridgman is a UK company, they had some amazing information on different types of Rattan furniture and I think there are a few varieties that look to have a plastic coating that the dogs would have a hard time chewing. I suppose I could always spray the furniture, with my “no chew” spray and hope for the best, but to be very honest with you, the whole idea makes me nervous! What if we spend the money and the dogs end up destroying it anyway?

So here is my question to all of you with dogs – how did your outdoor furniture fare during the puppy phase? Did you dare put out any furniture? Or, did you skip a season and wait until they were out of the chewing stage? Weigh in!

Recently, I have been contemplating whether our family is complete or not.  It’s such a big, big decision for a woman to make.  I am in my prime baby-making years and evolutionarily speaking, I’m wasting it. However, reason quickly takes over and I think about how many people are currently on this earth and the two beautiful little girls that I have been given, and one more (although I would love to have a baby again) doesn’t equate in my mind.

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I can remember being terrified of the unknown. Would I be a good mother? Could I adequately tend to her needs in the proper way? What if I messed this up?  I assume that these are normal responses and any mother pregnant with her first child has a number of concerns about the future may hold.

I wanted to ensure that I did it right, because babies don’t come with cute, little instruction booklets, nor do they typically offer second chances.  I immediately sought prenatal care, after checking out a handy dandy pregnancy calculator. Then, headed to my local drugstore to stock up on horse pills prenatal vitamins (seriously, where were the gummy vites when I was pregnant?).  I then combed every.single.website. for information on how to do this “pregnancy thing” properly, such as pregnancy information from Bounty.com, among other parenting websites that offered up a “guide map” for the next 9 months.

I was overwhelmed.

Eat this – don’t eat that.  This can be linked to cancer – that can be linked to ADHD – ahhhhhhhhh! I thought that labor was supposed to be the hard part?  I was excited for our upcoming arrival, but my goodness is there a lot to learn during those nine months.  Of course, regardless of what I put into my mouth, or how many jumping jacks I did, she arrived beautiful, healthy, and perfect in every way.  In fact, we enjoyed her so much that we decided to have #2.

Little miss #2 provided her very own set of challenges.  I was sick for the first 3 months so severely that I had to crawl off of the couch just to use the bathroom.  Once the severe morning sickness subsided, I rather enjoyed my pregnancy and had an easy C-section delivery.  Then, she began to cry.  She was the loudest baby in the hospital by far and she showed no signs of slowing down.

I was prepared for this. I mean, babies cry.  I knew the routine, and I had this baby thing licked (or so I thought).  The problem?  She kept crying…for two years.  Often times when I tell people this story, they think I’m exaggerating.  I mean really, can a baby cry for two years?  Why yes, yes they can – I lived through it, never once losing my temper, but I’m sure a little of my sanity was gone by the end of it.  In fact, I’m certain of it.

So, baby #3, although an endearing prospect, isn’t really going to become a reality.  I long to hold a baby and smell their sweet skin, but I don’t know that adding another baby to our family flow would be a good choice for anyone.  On the flip side, it’s hard to say goodbye to my baby-making years, and I will look back fondly on them.

How did you decide when you were done?  Was it hard to say goodbye?

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and if you’re like millions of others around the world, then chances are you will be sending a beautiful bouquet of flowers to bright her day!

Flowers are a great way to say many things, and although I didn’t really understand the popularity of flowers when I was younger, I certainly appreciate them and understand the thought now. I think as you get older, its the simple beauty in life that makes us all smile and flowers are certainly a reminder of the small beautiful objects that surround us each day.

When I’m picking flowers for myself, the process seems reather easy. I know what I like and what I don’t. However, when I’m buying for someone else, the task seems rather daunting and I have been known to stay on flower websites for an hour at a time just trying to decide the right bouquet to send!

I have found that it can be helpful to have an idea of what you would like that special someone to have before you shop. Here’s a few beautiful ideas from Interflora flowers to keep in mind as you look for that perfect Mother’s Day bouquet, and all of these are flowers delivered by Interflora.

(For the Mom who love whimsy)

(Beautiful, bright, and perfect for Mother’s Day)

(For those who seek elegance)

(For those who love the island life)

(Simple luxury in a beautiful glass vase)

Visit Interflora for more Mother’s Day bouquet ideas!

When I was a child, I can remember going to multiple dress-up parties for both kids and adults. In fact, I think the adults had more dress-up parties than the kids! But these days, it seems few and far between that you come across an invitation to a dress-up party and I think it’s time we bring it back!  When else can you dress up like a Neon Skeleton, or an Evil Pumpkin?

The creativity really comes out in people at dress up parties, and the costumes can truly be amazing. I remember one party I attended as a child, there was a man dressed up as Edward Scissorhands and the detail in the costume was truly amazing, including the real scissor hands!

I was curious to what was out there for the “dress up party crowd”, and happened to come across some amazing costumes and Halloween ideas from Fancydressball online. The costumes for adults are truly amazing (check out the Chucky doll), and the childrens outfits that are available range from very simple, to very fancy (check out the Rodeo Girls costume).

If you have no plans of throwing a dress up party anytime soon, then you may want to take it into consideration. It’s a great way to get a group of friends together and have a few laughs, at the very least. And, if dress up parties really aren’t your “thing”, well then just check out the amazing costume ideas for this years Halloween festivities.