Birthday Gift for Disney / Pixar Car Lovers

If you are attending a birthday party for a boy between 2-8, chances are the boy loves the Disney / Pixar movie Cars. You can find Cars merchandise everywhere. Disney must be making a killing off this movie. Most Car toys are a huge hit, but I'd like to feature some of my favorites.

Ramone's House of Body Art Color Shifters Playset

Currently $14.87 on Amazon.com

This color shifter set is terrific. Kids love playing with water. This toy is also educational as it can help teach the child colors. Warm and cold water shift the color of the car. My son loves the spray bottle and pushing his cars down the slide into the tub of water. This is also a good toy for outside play or bath time. This set takes just "Color Changer" cars which are sold separately. The set does include a color changing Ramone.

 ***Additional Color Cars sold separately

Spring Birthday Party Activity - Easter Grass Treasure Hunt

When considering themes and activities for a birthday party, plan around the holidays surrounding the party. For instance, a party in February could have a Valentine's Day theme or a Mardi Gras theme. For March and April birthdays, center your party around spring. Similar to Hay Treasure Activity, have an Easter Grass Treasure Hunt. This can be done indoors or outdoors.

Items you will need:

• Easter Grass
• Prizes / Party Favors (candy, pencils and/or small toys)

Instructions:

Just spread Easter grass on a clean floor or in your backyard. Hide toys, candy, pencils, erasers and other party favors in the Easter grass. Round the kids up and ready, set, go! Have the kids dig through the Easter grass for the buried treasure. This is fun for 1 year old through 8 year olds. There are several variations to this birthday party game, so use your imagination. You can use just one color of Easter grass or multiple colors. You can put the Easter grass in a baby pool or just on the ground. Have fun with it!

Birthday Books for 1 Year Olds

Don't know what to get the birthday baby who has everything? Why not a book? Popular birthday presents for 1 year olds include toys and clothes, but often books are forgotten. Below is a list of terrific books for a 1 year old, including links to Amazon.

Happy Birthday Little Pookie

 

This is yet another enjoyable book by Sandra Boynton. In this Pookie book, Little Pookie just can't wait for his birthday. He wakes up his parents early to start the celebration. The book has great images and perfect rhymes.

What Makes a Rainbow

 The book What Makes a Rainbow is not only educational, but it is just such a fun read for a toddler. In the story Little Rabbit learns what colors make a rainbow. This is a terrific book for children that are just learning their colors. With each page turned, a colored ribbon appears for the child to touch and feel. The final page has a 3D pop-out of a rainbow.
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

  Your book collection is not complete without a book by Mo Williems. In Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, your child can interact with the pigeon by telling him not to drive the bus. The simple and clear drawings help your child understand the story. The pigeon is very clever and sneaky. It's hard not to love him!

Healthy 1st Birthday Cake Recipe for Baby - Carrot Cake

Your baby's first birthday cake is most likely the first sugary treat your child will have. Often babies do get sick from their first birthday cake because they are not accustom to having so much sugar. Below is a birthday cake recipe that has less sugar than your typical boxed cake mix. Please note this recipe contains eggs. Please ensure that your child does not have an egg allergy before feeding him or her this birthday cake.

Baby's First Birthday Cake (Carrot Cake)

(Makes 1 double-layer 9-inch square cake; adapted from "What to Expect")

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 1/2 cups apple juice concentrate (you may use slightly less)
1 1/2 cups raisins
Vegetable Spray/Shortening
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 Tbsp low sodium baking powder
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 9 inch square cake pans with waxed paper and spray the paper with vegetable spray/shortening.

1. Combine the carrots with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the juice concentrate in a medium size saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 mins. Puree in a blender of food processor until smooth.
3. Add the raisins and process until finely chopped. Let mixture cool.
4. Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups juice concentrate, the oil, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat just until well mixed. Fold in the carrot puree and applesauce. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
5. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 mins. Cool briefly in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting below or sprinkle a wee bit of powdered sugar if desired.

Perfect 1st Birthday Presents for Boy or Girl - 2011

 baby's first birthday is such a momentous occasion. When attending a 1st birthday party you should always bring a gift. The first birthday is a great milestone in toys. It is a point where the baby can actually start playing with real toys.  I have listed 4 great toys that would be perfect gifts for a boy or girl. I recommend purchasing the gifts on Amazon if you shop ahead of time. Amazon is a terrific choice because the toys are usually 10-30% lower than Target and you do not have to pay tax or shipping if the order is greater than $25. Below are some of the top birthday gifts for a 1 year old in 2011:


LeapFrog Potsy (Click link to view Amazon page)

The LeapFrog Cook and Play Potsy is the perfect toy for a 12 month old. The manufacturers recommended age is for 12 - 36 months (1-3 years). Potsy is also a learning toy. Potsy has two play modes. The first mode is Cooking. When Potsy is on his Cooking mode he sings songs about stirring, food and nutrition. Potsy comes with cheese, broccoli, tomato, peas and corn. Potsy promotes healthy cooking and eating. The second mode is educational. This option offers learning in colors and counting. Potsy helps kids count to 5 with numerous fun songs. Removing Potsy's lid during either mode teaches kids about opposites, such an on/off and open/closed. Potsy also encourages open-ended pretend play with interactive prompts.

LeapFrog Counting Cake (Click link to view Amazon page)

The LeapFrog Counting Candles Birthday Cake is not only cute and fun for the first birthday but is entertaining for all ages. The manufactures recommended age is 12 months - 5 years. This toy is also a learning toy. The learning skills taught with the LeapFrog Counting Candles Birthday Cake include: counting, pretend play, music and motor skills. The most fun part about this gift is the child can actually "blow out the candles." There is a sensor on the cake that triggers the lighted candles to burn out when someone blogs on the sensor. The child can also choose how many candles to light by clicking on the star button. The balloon button allows the child to choose from a number of fun birthday related songs.  This gift will help any child relive their birthday.

Melissa and Doug Spill and Fill Picnic Basket (Click link to view Amazon page)

This picnic basket is perfect for the younger crowd.  One of its best features is that the fabric play food pieces can be thrown in the laundry if they get dirty. The four colorful pieces are perfect for pretend play and even chewing when teething. The flip-top basket allows the child to practice taking pieces out of the container and filling it back up. This toy helps develop young motor skills. Each piece makes a different noise from a squeak to rattle to a jingle. The sandwich is a fun feature because it pulls apart into 5 different pieces. If your boy or girl loves the picnic basket I also would recommend the Melissa and Doug Sandwich Game.





Cozy Coupe Shopping Cart (Click link to view Amazon page)

The little tikes Cozy Coupe is a classic favorite. This grocery cart merges two great ideas. The grocery cart is perfect for a 1 year old as it will help the child improve their walking skills. It can even be used by a child that cannot yet walk. The cozy coupe is a fun place for the child to put their favorite stuffed animal.

Birthday Invitations

Birthday party invitations are the first step in planning your party. You have a number of options for invitations, big and small. If you want to go the simple route you can just pick up invitations at Party City, Target, or Walmart. You can even some times find invitations at your local dollar store. If you are looking for your child's favorite action hero or princess you can shop online at amazon.com or partycity.com.

I am an avid picture lover. You can order party invitations at Shutterfly.com, TinyPrints.com, Zazzle.com, or Winkflash.com. If you wish to order invitations online, plan ahead and allow 3-10 days for shipping and processing.

Sunbeam Cupcake Maker

For smaller parties, I definately recommend Sunbeam's Cupcake Maker. It makes 6 cupcakes at a time and is perfect when hosting a small event. My cupcake maker doesn't burn cupcakes and actually bakes the cupcakes better than my oven does. You can find it for $40-$50 at Target or Amazon.