Fancy, overpriced, oversized gourmet bakery cupcakes may be declining in popularity, but let's get real here. Regular homemade cupcakes are never going to go out of style! Granted, sometimes you wanna mix it up. Like try a snazzy new presentation or a couple delish experimental ingredients. No, I'm not talking about something like hickory smoked bacon-infused chocolate (blech!). More like cupcakes inside ice cream cones! How cute! What's more, this ice cream cone cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart makes the adorable dessert seem super easy. Check it out ...

We've been getting birthday party invites with some unexpected fine print lately. Instead of "bring your bathing suits" or "feel free to drop off," it's "no gifts please." Sometimes in lieu of presents, they ask for a charitable donation and provide a link. I can't decide whether I think this is a great idea or a terrible idea that deprives a child of one of life's simple thrills -- tearing open tokens of acknowledgement on their special day. 

The first few times I got invites like this, I admit I blatantly ignored the request. Not getting a kid a gift just seemed so ... harsh. But more recently, the wisdom's started to sink in.

After our daughters' joint 6-year-old dance party last year, the amount of presents my husband and I hauled home literally made us sick.

Whew. Is it really Monday already? After celebrating my kid's seventh birthday over the weekend, I could really use one more day to relax and regroup after the festivities -- which were fun, but also pretty darn stressful.

Even though we didn't invite the entire first grade class this year, we did have a decent turnout for the birthday party we threw yesterday -- 13 kids, to be exact.

And no, I'm not brave enough to host a birthday party at my house in winter with all those kids present. (No. Freakin'. Way.)

How many events have you been to in the past year or so where there was an inflatable bounce house set up for the kids to play in? And how many birthday parties have you attended that were held at one of those bounce house centers with five or six inflatables for the kids to jump in to their hearts' content?

And one more question -- have you ever worried about your kids getting hurt while bouncing?

Well, as it turns out, a new report says that 30 children are treated for bounce-house related injuries in hospitals across the country each day.

(For real?)

At a party last weekend, I got stuck with "That Mom." You know, the mom you dread seeing at school functions, birthday parties, playdates, or park outings. So I decided to make a list of the most common types of "That Mom" I've come across. This way you can avoid her before she traps you!

Know it all Nicole - This mom is like Kris Jenner, but she won't take your family to Hawaii. She will, however, advise you how to be a better mom and wife, because frankly, who doesn't like unsolicited advice on parenting and marriage? She'll tell you whether you should or shouldn't vaccinate, how to get whites their whitest, and why you can never go to a drive-thru. If you want her to impart her wisdom elsewhere, bring up a blush-worthy topic like blow jobs. If she doesn't run for the hills, hear her out -- you can never know too much about blow jobs -- then bring up vibrators.

One of my favorite childhood Halloween memories is this ghost cake. It's just an ordinary ghost-shaped cake -- except for the flaming eyes! You place a lemon extract-doused sugar cube inside of a clean eggshell for each eye and then you light those cubes on fire. Now turn out the lights, bring in the cake, and listen to everyone ooh and aah.

This is an easy way to make a memorable Halloween for your kids. They will never forget this cake -- I haven't! And it's not that hard to pull off, either. Here are the directions and recipe for the Ghost Cake With Flaming Eyes.

When it comes to Halloween, it is, of course, all about the candy for kids. But all of that sugar on an empty stomach is a recipe for disaster (been there, done that; trust me), so getting your kids to eat something substantial after the treats they've likely consumed at school and before the Trick or Treating begins is imperative ... though not easy.

These mummy hot dogs, however, are so adorable and delicious that they'll  at least slow down for a minute and eat dinner. From Life as a Lofthouse, they're easy to make and perfect for a party too. If you want to cut down on fat you can use turkey hot dogs, a tofu variety, or even some chicken sausages. When they look this fun, most kids will eat whatever is wrapped up in there.

The rainbow cake has become legendary in certain circles. Hit up Pinterest, and there are hundreds of pins for dazzling towers of cake in magnificent colors. Which is all well and good if you're one of those Martha types who can actually replicate a Pinterest picture. But what about the rest of us?

Is there a rainbow cake that those of us who go into birthday planning mode with the best of intentions and always end up ripping our hair out at 2 a.m. because the cake looks nothing like the picture? Good news! There is!

I have a rainbow cake that is so easy even a 7-year-old could do it (well, OK, mine helped!)! And it's paired with the best cream cheese frosting I've ever tasted! So what's the secret?