Try a new twist on an old favorite treat, chocolate covered pretzels, for a Valentine’s Day treat. They’re simple to make, and even easier to eat. Your kids will have a blast helping you make them.

Ingredients:

A bag of rod pretzels

1/2 bar (or 6-8 squares) Chocolate Bark (it melts really well in the microwave) Follow the instructions on the bag to melt.

Valentines day sprinkles

Melt the chocolate, let your children help dip the pretzels in the melted chocolate.

I lay the dipped pretzels on wax paper, but you can also prop them up in a cup to dry (if you don’t want them to be flat on one side). Let your children add the sprinkles while the chocolate’s still soft.

Bundle them together for a Valentine’s Day gift, or make a pretzel bouquet for your child’s classroom.

Tags: Valentine’s day treat idea, chocolate dipped pretzel, Valentine’s day, cooking with kids

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We’re huge American Idol fans at our house! So we were glued to the TV for the premiere last night. I’m so excited to see the new Idol hopefuls in a few weeks. I’m a bigger fan of the singing and voting portion of the show, than I am of the auditions.

I put together some American Idol birthday party ideas, to help you plan  if you have an Idol fan at your house. American Idol Party Supplies are easy to find, and it wouldn’t be hard to entertain the kids with an American Idol themed party. Just give them some clothes to dress up in, set up a stage with streamers, or silvery fringe. Start up the karaoke machine, or a microphone and CD player and let them sing the night away.

You can also play Idol trivia, ask questions about past Idol hopefuls, watch a popular Idol episode, or just let them show off their American Idol outfits.

Purchase American Idol invitations or make your own. If you decide to make your own American Idol invite, use a star shaped stencil to cut out card-stock stars. You can either cut out large stars and make it your invitation and write the party details right on the star. Or cut out smaller stars to stick on a larger square card-stock invitation. Add some glitter, or use glitter pens for a little extra star power.

A sample American Idol invitation message might be, “You could be the next American Idol. Please come to “Your Child’s Name’s” open auditions, on “party date” and finish your party details.

Cupcakes would be a really simple alternative to birthday cake, you can decorate them with a star. If you’d rather decorate a cake use American Idol Mini Light-up Guitars as toppers, and you can also give them out as favors.

I have a lens with more American Idol party supplies, and ideas.

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I want to know what party themes you’d like more information on. Are you planning a party, or do you need more information on a holiday, or birthday party idea?

Are you looking for more games, activities, cake ideas, specific themes, invitation ideas, or party planning information?

Let me know here. It’s worth 10 entries in the January Party Into The New Year Giveaway.  I’d love to hear from you.

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Here is a great idea for a dog themed birthday cake. This cake would also work very well for a Webkinz themed birthday party.

It’s a beautiful cake, but it would be fairly easy to make. You can use any color of icing. Make the “dog bones” with a sugar cookie recipe (see below) and a Dog Bone Cookie Cutter. Ice the extra dog bone cookies to serve as party snacks. Purchase heart candies, or make your own with fondant icing.

Purchase new dog dishes to hold your party snacks.

Dog (or puppy) chow is a great party snack for a dog themed birthday party.

Puppy Chow Recipe

9 cup Chex cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Put the Chex cereal in large bowl. Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a double boiler, or on low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the mixture over the Chex cereal and mix until coated. Put the mixture into a large plastic bag with powdered sugar and shake well to coat the mixture with the powdered sugar.

Spread mixture out on wax paper to cool.

Best Ever Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups butter
3 eggs
8 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together butter and sugar, add eggs. Sift dry ingredients, and add to sugar and egg mixture. Add milk and vanilla, work dough until smooth. Chill and roll to desired thickness. Cut with (dog bone shaped) cookie cutters. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375` until very lightly browned.

Makes about 12 dozen cookies, cut recipe in half for about 6 dozen cookies.

After the cookies cool, ice and decorate with sprinkles, or candies.

I have more dog themed birthday party on my lens.

Tags: dog themed birthday party, dog themed birthday cake, dog themed birthday party snacks, puppy chow recipe, dog birthday

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I just won a new banner from ScaDesigns, check it out:

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Hannah Montana is the most popular party for tween girls. There aren’t too many little girls who don’t dream of being Hannah Montana. Why not let them live their dream for one special day.

Hannah Montana Invitation Idea

You can purchase Hannah Montana Invitations or make your invitations out of card stock, to look like a large concert ticket.

On the front write: Admit One to YOUR CHILD’s NAME’s Hannah Montana Birthday Concert. It’s a sold out show, and you have a backstage pass to the party.

Include all the party details on the back of the ticket.

Hannah Montana Party Activities

Hannah Montana is known for her funky sense of style, so bring on the dress up. Have some fun and hip jewelry, hats, and accessories for the girls to dress up in. If you have a digital camera let the girls take pictures of each other, and decorate a photo frame with glittery stickers, stick on jewels and bling to put their photo in as a party keepsake.

Don’t forget the Hannah Montana Party Supplies, or a Hannah Montana Guitar Piñata.

Hannah Montana Party Decoration Ideas

Keep the decorations simple, include some streamers, and balloons. You can make guitars out of poster board to hang around the room.

Add a Hannah Montana Centerpiece

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Julie at She Knows Parties has a really cute idea for a Mardi Gras invitation posted. All you need are some plastic Mardi Gras masks.

After you get the invitations sent out hop over to All Holiday Cafe for some Mardi Gras Recipes.

I’ll post a couple of my own recipes, and some fun Mardi Gras activities in the next couple days.

Have fun!

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I’ve been working on a Superbowl party lens, so here is one of the recipes I posted there. These nachos would be great for any party.

Loaded Nachos

Ingredients
1 bag nacho chips
1 lb of lean ground beef (browned)
1 package taco seasoning
1 large onion finely chopped in a bowl
1 can refried beans
1 16oz package cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1 container sour cream
1 container chunky salsa
2 diced tomatoes in a bowl
Jalapeños, or green Chile peppers
Guacamole

Add the taco seasoning to the ground beef. Mix the cheeses together. Layer the nacho chips, ground beef, refried beans and cheese in a large glass baking dish, repeat the layers until the ingredients are gone. Top with cheese and bake at 300` for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown.

Serve hot with tomatoes, salsa, onions, sour cream, hot peppers, and guacamole as a garnish the guests can add themselves.

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Here are a couple more giveaway links. I’m going to start making giveaway and contest links a regular feature here once or twice a week. I think I’m going to post them every Friday, and maybe one other day a week.

Here are two for you:

Momsational is giving away an Evenflo car seat 

Pennies in My Pocket is giving away a set of 10 gift bags (great for that next party)

Good Luck!

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Scadesigns is giving away a very nice ad banner if you want to promote your blog this year it would be a great start. All you have to do is comment on her Banner Giveaway post before January 11th. I’m the only one entered so far.

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