Valentine's Day Cookie Sampler

I’m always looking for cute gifts that I can send easily by mail to my friends and family in other cities for no reason or little occasions. Gifts that are $10 or less to send but still make an impact. I found an advertisement today for this adorable Valentine’s Day New Cookie Flavor Sampler from Cheryl’s. For just $9.99 you get 2 new Cocoa Sugar cookies, a Buttercream Frosted Hug Bug cookie, and 3  buttercream frosted heart shaped cut-out cookies in a cookie card box. And that includes the price of delivery!

Make someone’s day special with a cookie Valentine box for less than $10.

At our house, we absolutely love the holidays. We love the family parties (my kids particularly relish time with their cousins), the music, the decorations, the iconic 1960s shows (Heat Miser, anyone?), even silly games in the car to make travel go by faster.

And we love, love, love the food.

Unfortunately, holiday food doesn’t always love us. My children may not be old enough to worry that a minute on the lips might really translate to a lifetime on the hips (or around the middle), but there’s more to it than that.

With our constant reminders to our kids of what’s healthy and what’s not, and what should be eaten in moderation — not scarfed down at top speed a la The Holidays — how can we justify feeding our children a steady diet of frosted cookies and white bread stuffing for the entire month of December?

Don’t get me wrong: we’re not perfect around here (and we wouldn’t want to be – we love being “us,” quirks and all). I aim for healthy, but when the holidays come, I’m dreaming of gingersnaps and gooey icing like everyone else. Is there a happy medium between “yum!” and “I can still close my pants?” In our house there is! My clever husband began coming up with healthy yet yummy food substitutions after experimenting with a cake for a kids Yo Gabba Gabba party at his neighbors, and I’ve taken up the challenge with ideas of my own.

Here are some of our favorite healthy, delicious holiday food substitutions. If you use even a few of these, you’re on the right track. And you’ll be teaching your kids that there really is such a thing as “good” and “good for you.” Enjoy, and happy holidays!

Delicious Holiday Appetizers and Drinks

• Festive fruit appetizer plate v. cheese and crackers. We found cute mini cookie cutters in holiday shapes at our local dollar store and an idea was born. Cut various fruits into slices, then use the cookie cutters to create festive shapes. Serve on a decorated holiday dish.
• Low-fat dips v. traditional dips. Nobody will ever know the difference — just sub low fat sour cream or low fat softened cream cheese (try neufchatel, which is naturally lower in fat) for the regular stuff.
• Wine v. holiday liqueurs. Obviously, this sub is for grown-ups only. You’ll save loads of calories and often, a dose of sugar by sipping some fabulous red wine with your holiday meal rather than something heavier.
• “Spritzers v. straight-up juice. Juice may come from fruits, but the processing means the sugars are highly concentrated. Add sparkling water or seltzer to your wine and to your kids’ holiday cranberry juice and cut the bad stuff down while maintaining a holiday flavor and feel.

At the Main Table

• Wild rice stuffing v. all-bread stuffing. Simmer wild rice in chicken stock; add one-quarter to one-half cup to your standard bread stuffing recipe. Stuff in your bird of choice or place in a greased baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 350 for 45-60 minutes (always refer to your own recipe for temperatures, times and liquid amounts). Serve as a side dish.
• Mashed sweet potatoes v. a marshmallow-topped casserole. Really, sweet potatoes are sweet (hence the name) all by themselves. Scrape sweet potatoes and cut into thick chunks. Boil until just soft. Drain well. Mash as you would regular potatoes with a sprinkling of salt and some butter or Earth Balance spread. Mmm!
• Yogurt v. sour cream in holiday recipes. Plain yogurt has a tang and no sweetness; you’ll be surprised how much it really does taste like real sour cream. Look for yogurt with live, active cultures for the greatest health benefits.
• Whole grain flour blends for biscuits v. white flour. Just because it isn’t white doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious. Substitute half of the white flour in your recipe for whole wheat flour and you’ll add nutrients and fiber.
• Poultry v. red meat. Around here, we don’t believe red meat is the devil…but it does generally carry more fat per serving depending upon the cut. Remember: turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving – it’s perfect for Christmas too. (Watch out for birds that really are high in fat overall, such as duck.)

Time For Dessert!

• Angel food cake v. fruitcake. Come on, nobody really eats the fruit cake anyway. But they will if you serve light, delicious angel food cake sprinkled with low-carb, delicious raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Voila — you’ve cut your calories by better than half.
• Healthy quick breads v. regular cinnamon rolls or muffins. “Quick bread” simply means you’re not using yeast, so you don’t have to wait for the bread to rise. Try zucchini bread, pumpkin bread and carrot bread. You can even keep the cinnamon tradition by adding this yummy holiday spice to your quick bread of choice. Lower the sugar by 1/3 in your recipe and sub apple sauce for the butter. Frost with low-sugar cream cheese icing.
• Jelly or jam bars v. frosted cookies. My kids love helping me make these. They do include sugar, but rather than heaping more of the sweet stuff on top, you’re putting real fruit in the middle. Use no-sugar added jam. Delish!

Remember: when it comes to teaching healthy eating habits for a lifetime, your aim is progress, not perfection. Very few people can eat healthfully 100% of the time. There’s a place for tradition too – on the table and in our hearts.

Treat yourself and your family while making a few of the substitutions above and you’ll truly have a healthy and happy holiday.

Melanie Henson is a wife, mommy and occasional overachiever who believes kids really can like things that are good for them. As a contributor to Themeaparty.com, Melanie writes about hosting birthdays and organizing for the holidays, from décor to activities to yummy foods for both kids and adults. Check out some ideas for a party, where she shares her ideas and planning efforts with other busy parents just like herself.

Image credit: reutC/Flickr

The Disney Family website always has such cute craft ideas for Disney fans, along with the patterns and templates to make them. This month they are showing how to make these Mickey Mouse Snowmen Cards:

Mickey Mouse Christmas Cards

All you need are the template, scissors, paper, ribbon, glue, and markers. Get the full instructions and free template if you want to make your own cards. It’s a great way to have something personal from the kids while sticking to a budget.

Of course, if you are going for something more professional, you can always check out the selection of Disney Christmas cards from Expressionery. They can be personalized and are just adorable. Here are my favorite:

It’s always a Disney holiday at our house, and it can be at yours as well whether you make the cards for free or buy them online.

Tombstones, goblins and zombies . . . oh my! What is obscure and taboo every other day of the year makes us absolutely normal for one blissful 24 hour period. (I mean, let’s face it . . . if you tossed bloody bodies on the front lawn any other day of the year the neighbor’s might talk.)

If you are looking to voice that slightly creepy part of your imagination this Halloween read on to find our fab-ghoul-ous guide to creating the perfect knock em’ dead cemetery for your front yard.

How to Create Tombstones

Super easy to create, tombstones are a great and inexpensive way to add a little “holiday cheer” to your scary decorations even if you aren’t going all out with a massive cemetery haunt. To create a tombstone all you need is a box cutter, foam, grey, white and black spray paint along with a white paint marker.

Simply lay down the foam and cut with a box cutter into the shape of a tombstone. Use a flower planter to trace round edges. Once cut out, begin to spray on the alternating colors. Use a sponge to create a “granite” look by dabbing the tombstone all over to mix the colors. Just before the paint dries, spray paint a slightly darker color along the edges. That will give it an older look.

After all the paint dries, write on words and names of your choice. Here are a few of our favorite wacky ways to die and other quirky tombstone writings . . . (you can of course come up with your own verse according to your overall personality and look of your cemetery.)

“Herman Willy – blown away by three bean chili”

“Ester Smith – Preceded in passing by her beloved husband, Rupert”

“Rupert Smith – nagged to death”

“Vy Agra – No longer getting up”

“Al Dente – Died just right”

For realistic looking moss, simply collect your drier lint for a few weeks. Mix with a paste of craft glue and a couple shades of green paint, then apply to various areas of your tombstones. Let it dry. Viola!

Floral arrangement stakes are perfect for driving your tombstones securely in the ground. Place three stakes up the bottom of each Styrofoam prop and stake them into the lawn. If you have a mound of dirt in front of it, you’ll have a grave that looks “freshly dug”.

Fabulous Cemetery Ideas

Go creepy with miscellaneous items found in the back of your imagination. Close your eyes – what do you see? Is there a machete in your cemetery? Who cares why it’s there – if it creeps you out go faux and place a plastic yet realistic one in a tombstone. Want a living dead revival? Stake a few faux body parts from beyond the grave … above the grave.

Creating the perfect Halloween cemetery is a work of art – so don’t be afraid to put your signature on yours. Halloween is the perfect time to let your imagination soar – even the slightly twisted, where-did-that-thought-come-from ideas that make you scratch your head and question your sanity. It’s an anything goes art form and this, my friend, is your masterpiece!

Written by Chris Molnar, a party Dad who can’t wait for his daughters to no longer be scared of Halloween! (His two year old pulled her hat over her eyes and crossed her arms while in her stroller during a recent trip to the zoo, where they had a huge Halloween celebration. So cute, but come on!) Click here for some of Chris’s party ideas for Halloween.

Party Halloween

It may already be October, but that doesn’t mean that it is too late to throw together an amazing Halloween party, especially if you have the right tools! You can search all over the Internet for ideas, but why not just consult an expert and get everything all in one place?

My friend Chris (who writes a lot of great guest posts for this site, including the one on painting pumpkins), has put together the Party Halloween ebook. I just took a look at it and it is amazing! It is full of ideas for everything from the history behind Halloween parties to invitation templates to games. It is honestly 138 pages of the most comprehensive Halloween information that I have ever seen.

I don’t want to give too much away, but here’s a fun fact from the book. Did you know that in the mid-1800s the Irish carved turnips and lit them to confuse evil spirits? Now you know how our tradition of jack o’lanters got started. The book has a lot of really cool background information like that before it gets into the nuts and bolts of the party planning. I would get the book just for the background information because I’m a geek for that kind of stuff.

Need some creative help with Halloween game ideas or karaoke choices? (Think beyond “Witch Doctor” to songs like “Bad Moon Rising”) Want to have a costume contest that gives out more than “best costume” prizes? And the food ideas! Eight different cake pop ideas alone! No matter what kind of Halloween party you are having, you will find incredible ideas to make your party unforgettable.

Here’s the best part. Even if your party is TONIGHT, you can get the book ASAP. Just visit www.partyhalloween.com/ebook for more information about how to get the book and all of the bonus items that come along with it. Happy party planning!

Updated: Some of the items have sold out already since I first wrote the post. Sorry! If you are interested in anything below, you should be able to still get it by Halloween but I took out everything that has sold out. The makeup is on backorder until October 19.

Lately my daughter has become obsessed with Monster High Dolls. After getting one from Justice a couple of months ago she has begun collecting them. She also goes to the Monster High website every day to watch the new shows that they have on there. When she asked me if she could get a Monster High costume for Halloween, I figured that there was no way that I could find any. It turns out that they are some of the hottest costumes this year! The good news is that the costumes are not that expensive, either. You could try to make them yourself but the materials would cost about as much. Here are some that I found at BuyCostumes.com, where you can click here to take 10% off orders or $40 or more.

Monster High – Lagoona Blue Child Costume
Includes jacket with attached shirt and attached fins, skirt with attached shorts and leggings with attached fins. Does not include wig, makeup or shoes.

Monster High – Frankie Stein Child Costume
Includes dress with attached sleeves and attached necktie, belt and leggings. Does not include wig, makeup, jewelry or shoes.


Monster High – Clawdeen Wolf Child Costume
Includes jacket with attached shirt, skirt, belt and choker. Does not include wig, headband, other jewelry, knee highs or boots.

You could also build your own outfit and just buy the wig like this:

Monster High – Draculaura Wig (Child)

They have them for all of the characters. This would be particularly helpful if you don’t think that the costumes themselves are appropriate for your daughter but are okay with the characters.

Monster High Costumes I have seen include: Draculauara, Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf, Cleo de Nile, and Lagoona Blue. If these are anything like the Selena Gomez costumes last year, they are going to sell out quickly so you need to order now.

10% off $40 or more plus Free Shipping* at BuyCostumes.com

It’s almost that time of year again—time for costumes, candy, and of course pumpkins! Halloween is just around the corner and that means it’s time to start thinking about the cutest pumpkins ever. This is the year to make something creative and to really work with your kids on something that will be adorable and memorable. There are so many fun and easy pumpkin carving ideas and the end product will be something to celebrate.

Though the typical Jack-O-Lantern smiling face works fine, perhaps it’s time to start thinking outside of the box. This is a great year to try something new, something fun, and yet something simple enough that a child of the right age can help you to carry it off. These ideas are great for your outdoor Halloween decor, So if you want to be the most memorable pumpkin on the block, then try out these ideas for a little fun and yet an easy execution.

A Flower

If you have a little girl just chomping at the bit to make something cute and over the top this year, this can seem overwhelming as a parent. Don’t’ fret because a flower is something that can appeal to her tastes and yet make you happy as the parent because it’s not at all hard to do. There are some simple stencils out there or you can just draw your own quite easily.

Start with the stem that is low on the front of the pumpkin to allow it plenty of room to “grow”. Then draw out the petals that you and your child can easily trace and then carve over which will be the signature look of the flower itself. You can get really creative with this and even draw on some color with pumpkin paint or just let the shape speak for itself.

A Dog

This works for either boys or girls and can be easy if you start with an easy design. The face of the dog and the ears have to somehow be connected as you draw this out so just take it slow. The wrong cut can send the ears flying so just keep them big and floppy with a simple connection to the head through a little curve.

Leave space as you draw this out for the cute little eyes and the perfect puppy nose. It can be that simple, just big floppy ears and a face made up of the eyes and puppy nose or you can go more elaborate if you like. You can even complete the look by attaching something that looks like a tale onto the side or the back for that “awwww” effect!

A Ghost

Is it cliché? Perhaps but it’s also classic and kids love it! So if you want to make a ghost this is perfect for Halloween and so very easy to do. There are tons of stencils out there for ghosts, some of which are actually quite easy to use. Even if you just draw it out yourself you can have fun with this and really find it easy.

Just draw out the silhouette of a ghost with the bottom being broader and flowing and the top coming into the perfect rounded head. This will look super cool with the light of the candle behind it and that makes it even better! Classic, easy, and so effective for the holiday!

A Decorated Happy Face

This goes well above and beyond just a happy face on a pumpkin because it’s all about the accessories. Trace out a cute and memorable face and leave room for the accessories. If it’s for a boy he may want to mix in scars or gore and if it’s for a girl then she may want to mix in jewelry and makeup. Dress the pumpkin up with a tiara, feather boa, bandana or anything else that strikes your child’s fancy. If you’re going to have a pirate Halloween party, for example, decorate half a dozen small pumpkins all as different pirates, and assemble them on the deck of a “ship” – on a table, lay out cardboard painted brown and stencil in wooden patterns to make it look like the planks of a ship – then add the “pumpkin heads” to it!

The face can be as happy as you want it to but then get out the pumpkin paint and let them throw on blood or make up depending on their taste. They can then get out the accessories like fake mustache or jewelry and a hat. This is the pumpkin that’s easy to carve but goes above and beyond the classic and traditional as it’s all about the accessories, paint and creativity!

Chris Molnar is a work-at-home Dad of two preschool daughters. He writes about theme parties at Themeaparty.com

Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Pattern

Every year we carve Halloween pumpkins and up until last year they always looked the same–some combination of triangles, circles, and jagged teeth. That changed when I found the Disney character Halloween templates at the grocery store. We bought a package and transformed our pumpkins into adorable Disney jack-o-lanterns. We’re not artists or even artsy, so these were perfect for us!

Yesterday I found out that you do not even need to buy the Disney templates; you can actually print them off for free. They have everything from Jack Skellington to Mickey to Phineas and Ferb to Pooh to Princesses. You simply print them off and then transfer them to your pumpkin and then cut along the lines.

The templates give you a couple of different ways to transfer the patterns. The first is to do copy the image freehand. There is no way anyone in my house could do that. So we did the second, which was to tape the pattern onto the pumpkin and then use a pumpkin carving tool to poke holes along the outline of the shape. Then remove the paper and use the pumpkin carving knife to complete the cutting. It says that you can use a push pin or tack to poke the holes, but we just bought a cheap pumpkin carving kit like this one (Ultimate Pumpkin Carving Kit):

So if you are looking for a little something different this year for your pumpkins and are Disney fans (they also have Muppets), you should definitely consider using the templates. Visit the Disney Family website to see all of the Pumpkin Carving Templates and download them for free.

It’s hard to believe but the end of the summer is upon us! Though it feels as if summer just began, it’s almost back to school time and a collective groan will soon weigh heavy over the children. If you want to make this a special and fun time of year for your kids, then consider throwing an end of summer bash where they can really let loose.

This is a fun way to let the kids get in some time at the pool and really connect with their friends before school starts. This can be a great way to kick off a school year or to end a fabulous summer. Either way it’s all about creating and reliving memories, having some great food and drink, and just having an all-around fun time!

Splashing Games

No matter what age your kids are it can be a lot of fun to play some fun summer games. Set them up for some fun in the pool and make some championship games centered around it. Set them up for diving contests, searching for rings, and even swimming competitions. Allow them to recapture their youth again (that is, from way back in early summer) before the madness of school begins, and set up a fun competition for them like water balloon toss or even hot potato.

Your child is never too old to have fun with their friends and this is a great way to celebrate summer and leave their worries about back to school behind. You can make it that much more fun by offering ribbons for the winners and prizes for all participants. You can go for picture frames, candy, or just a simple goodie bag to remember the day by.

The Best Food and Drink Around

The food and drink may be the best part of this end of summer party. There are many great things you can make and none of them are hard to do. You can start off with fresh fruit kabobs – they’re not only healthy but they’re fun to eat so kids of all ages will appreciate this little gem. Set out fresh veggies and a ranch dipping sauce, as well as some hummus and pita. You of course have to be sure to put out summer favorites like chips and fresh salsa or even a taco dip that they’ll all love.

If you want a simple dinner then just go for hot dogs on the grill with all the condiments. Serve them up with chips and a nice pasta salad as that’s the perfect summer dish. Then you need to be sure that you have a great dessert like marshmallows that they can roast later on for s’mores along with a nice summer dessert like ice cream. Serve up a variety of ice cream to make it special and fun for this summer party.

You need some great drinks so go for different flavors of lemonade like raspberry and strawberry for a fun and special twist. If you have time, mix up some slushies that they can enjoy poolside. You can pick up an ice shaver from Hamilton Beach, but I actually have a margarita maker that works great for this (and it’s an opportunity to use up the rest of my Elmo party supplies from a birthday last spring.)

Memories of the Hot Days

Take pictures of them all summer long and of course at this fun little last of the year party. Then put this together into a quick little slideshow that they can watch as it’s set to their favorite music. This will allow them to reminisce on their fun days that they shared together all summer long. Print out pictures of the fun day for each of them to take home in a picture frame and they will never forget this summer or this awesome end of summer bash.

By Chris Molnar, editor of a theme party ideas website for kids and adults. He and his two kids greatly enjoy their massive five foot kiddie pool, but that won’t stop them from having a fun outdoor party this weekend with five screaming preschool friends, the hose, some water guns and slushies!

Updated: You can now get a Father’s Day card for FREE using code FREEFD. Expires 6/13/2011

Father’s Day is quickly approaching and I find it hard to buy for the dads in my life. Tiny Prints is making it easier this year by offering custom Father’s Day cards starting at only $.99 (use code GC99). What do I mean by customized? You can use your own photos, text, and even embedded gift cards in the customized cards. Have the card mailed to yourself or directly to dad. Make the card funny or sentimental or as unique as dad himself.

One of the reasons that I love this is that I don’t buy cards for my “dad” each year but rather a lot of other men in my life who have been a father or a grandfather in a more non-traditional way. It’s really hard to find cards for those situations. With a custom card from Tiny Prints, I can say what I need to say and not have to cross out words or write in the margins. It’s 100% my sentiment.

These cards sold like crazy for Mother’s Day because of their high quality and value. If you need help getting started, they have a number of different pre-made cards that you can choose from and then go from there. My personal favorites are the cards with the kids faces on the front. Then again, I really love the humorous cards because that’s the kind of cards my husband enjoys getting from my kids.

Visit Tiny Prints and use code GC99 to get this special deal.