To Bake or Not to Bake...The Cake is the Question!

I'm thrilled that I have great friends that are WONDERFUL bakers....because at my house, where there is smoke - there's dinner!  When my kids were little, I made their birthday cakes - and at no small expense.  I would travel to the far corners of the Earth to find the "right" candy rocks for a construction birthday cake, or the perfect princess for that precious little girl.  And every year, I would beg my mother-in-law to NEVER LET ME DO THIS AGAIN. I don't have the patience to painstakingly attend to the details that are required to make a cake great and it ends up causing more stress (and more expensive when you consider all the time and energy it takes to find all the materials, buy all the materials, and apply the ice packs to your head after banging it on the kitchen table repeatedly).

So now I purchase cakes...and it's a beautiful thing!  What kind of cake you make/buy should depend on many factors, not the least your budget!  Custom cakes can run into hundreds of dollars...money that might be better spent on something that won't be consumed in five minutes!  Here in Sarasota, we've done Publix cakes, Sam's Cakes, A Slice of Heaven Cakes and some private bakers (who were AMAZING!) to get just what we needed - and honestly - they were all perfectly fine!

Ask yourself...

• What's my budget? 
• How many people am I feeding? Check out my Pinterest page for a servings chart!
• How will I store the cake (ask me about the time that i brought an ice cream cake to my daughters pony riding party....still a family favorite story)
• Do I have a theme? Favorite flavors? 
• Do I have the time and energy to pull off a masterpiece of my own?
• Do i even want a cake? How about cupcakes? Cake Pops? Cake in a Cup?

Purchasing the perfect cake for your special event doesn't make you a bad Mom - being a frantic lunatic who's been up all night battling with fondant and arrives at party battle worn might!  I'm including a few pictures of some cute cakes for your viewing enjoyment....and throwing two thumbs up to all you Mom's out there - the bakers and non-bakers alike! Party On - and don't forget the inflatable fun from Party Jumpers.  Friend us on Facebook for monthly specials on bouncehouses, waterslides, obstacle courses, giant slides, dunk tanks and more fun for every event!

Combined Birthday Parties - Saving Time AND Money!

I've been chatting with a lot of moms recently who have kids with birthday's close together, and I'm always interested in what's working for them!  Joint birthday parties have become a great option for parents who are looking to conserve resources (time/money AND sanity) into one day.  You might consider a single theme that they both agree to - but what if they can't settle one a single theme?  I've collected some themes that work together, while giving each kid a sense of their own individual spirit!  Boy/Boy - Boy/Girl or Girl/Girl - Have any suggestions? We'd love to hear from you!

Knights/Princesses           Pirates/Mermaids           SuperHero (SuperGirl AND Boy!)      

Movie Theme (with each of their favorites)       Mustaches/Bows         DIfferent Colors? *Black/White

Different Animals/Insects       Fire/Ice (that could get intersting!)     Different Seasons

I would suggest TWO cakes however (even if they are small!).  Sing to each of the kids individually - it's their day to shine!   If your kids birthdays are close together - but not their ages - consider having two parties in one day (one early/one late).  You can still combine a lot of the work and expense, but not worry about the big and little kids not getting along!  Another idea is having a joint party with another family!  Sweet 16's are a great example of this!  Want some more cute ideas? Check out our Pinterest page, Facebook page or our website for great ideas that will make your kids birthday, graduation, first communion or other special day the best!

Boy and Girl Joint Party Ideas here!

Best Inflatable Rentals in the Sarasota/Bradenton Area!

Friend us on Facebook for monthly specials and great party ideas!