Friday, January 31, 2020

Party Time! 46 Creative First Birthday Party Ideas



Whether you can believe it or not, your baby's first birthday is actually here! And while figuring out how to celebrate this big milestone can make parents scratch their heads — it's not like your little one will remember it, after all! — throwing a shindig for your friends and family will ensure memories for years to come.

Stuck in an inspiration rut when it comes to settling on a theme for your soirée? No worries! We did the hard work for you by rounding up some of our favorite first birthday party themes we've seen cropping up. So even if you plan to throw a full-blown Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or want to go a little out-of-the-box with a country-fair-inspired fête, we've got you covered. Scroll through to get a look at some of the most creative themes out there.

source - https://www.popsugar.com/family/Creative-First-Birthday-Party-Ideas-18977826
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29 Trendy Birthday Cakes For Every Kind of Birthday Party

A great cake is the centerpiece of a great birthday party, and we predict 2020 will be full of these thrilling themes. From beautiful, clean designs to cakes inspired by the biggest movies of the year — like Sonic the Hedgehog, Mulan, and Trolls World Tour — there's an idea for every kind of party and for every age.

Whether you're looking for birthday cake inspiration or browsing for the future, keep reading for 29 trendy ideas !


source - https://www.popsugar.com/family/best-birthday-cake-ideas-for-kids-2020-46988971
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45 Best Instagram Captions for Couples to Use on Photos With Your Special Someone

Nearly everyone knows that a relationship isn't officially official until a couple photo has been posted on Instagram. This is the law. (Okay, not really—but your first public picture together is a pretty big deal.) So it's no surprise that sharing a couple pic with the universe internet can be stressful. There's so much to think about! Does your makeup look good? Is he blinking? Are you blinking? Is he doing that annoying thing where he puts his arm around your neck, which is cute in theory, but actually just messes up your hair?

After you've managed to nail the perfect shot (96 takes later), you're going to be exhausted. Unfortunately, your job isn't over yet: You still need a cute and funny caption. *Dun-dun-dunnnnn!* Skip the part where you panic and text your friends begging for ideas on what to write about your cheesy selfie. We did the hard work for you and came up with the best Instagram captions for couples, from funny love quotes and pop culture references to country love songs and romantic song lyrics that say exactly what you're thinking. Choose your favorite cute couples caption, share the photo with your followers, and watch the likes roll in. (Check out our best Valentine's Day captions for Instagram too!)

Cute Couple Captions
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I'm wearing the smile you gave me.
The best things in life are better with you.
You're my favorite hello and my hardest goodbye.
The peanut butter to my jelly.
Together is a wonderful place to be.
I can't live without you, and I don't want to try.
My favorite fairytale is our love story.
Home is wherever I'm with you.
Two heads, one heart.
Every day with you is the best day of my life.
I want to be with you until my last page.
P.S. I love you.
Funny Couple Captions
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We go together like hot sauce and everything.
Thank you, Tinder.
A relationship is when one person is always right and the other person is the boyfriend.
I love you more than pizza, and that's saying a lot.
Swiped right, now it's for life.
Even when I want to kill you, I love you.
Thanks for being so good at killing spiders.
I'm happy to be your big/little spoon.
He's not perfect, but at least he's not from my hometown.
I like you even when I'm hungry.
Thanks for putting up with me even though I'm kind of crazy.
It wasn't love at first sight, but we turned out okay.
You're the only person I would share my snacks with.
Song Lyrics for Couple Captions
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GETTY

"You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe, shine like gold, buzz like a bee. Just the thought of you can drive me wild—oh, you make me smile." — Uncle Kracker
"We were just kids when we fell in love." — Ed Sheeran
"You're my end and my beginning. Even when I lose, I'm winning." — John Legend
"If all I got is your hand in my hand, baby I could die a happy man." — Thomas Rhett
"You could have my heart or we could share it like the last slice." — Drake
"I got everything I need and nothing that I don't." — Zac Brown Band
"You still look like a movie, you still sound like a song. My god, this reminds me of when we were young." — Adele
"I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is while you're in the world." — Elton John
"Loving you is easy." — Minnie Riperton

source - https://www.countryliving.com/life/a28368308/instagram-captions-for-couples/
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15 Different Types of Cake for All Your Baking Needs

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t's hard to find someone who doesn't have strong feelings about a homemade cake recipe. We all have our favorites. For some, it might be a rich, and sweet cake. Others prefer their cake a little airier—think angel food cake—with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries. While some folks won't touch anything but a homemade birthday cake, there are a few of us who love a good old-fashioned grocery store cake. But no matter your preferences, it's good to know the facts when it comes to different kinds of cake.
There are two main types of cake: butter (also known as a "shortened" cake) and foam. And then within each category there are many varieties. The primary difference between the two cakes to India is the fat content. Shortened cakes have either butter, oil, or shortening in them. (A classic yellow cake is a perfect example.) Foam cakes have little to no fat and typically involve whipped eggs (either white, yolks, or both), which make them lighter and airier. Think a rolled type sponge cake, like a Buche de Noel, which you might see during the holidays.
Keep scrolling for a crash course on some of our favorite types of cakes.
1Yellow Butter Cake
cake-type
Many a kid's birthday party is celebrated with a sheet-cake version of this dessert that's topped with billows of chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Yellow butter cakes often involve creaming the butter and sugar together (in modern times, this is done with an electric mixer) then adding the dry and wet ingredients, but there are also “dump” versions where all of the ingredients are thrown into a bowl and simply mixed together.
2Pound Cake
cake-type
Named because it's made with a pound of each of the main ingredients (flour, butter, and sugar), this cake doesn’t rise much while baking, and the texture is very dense. Our version boasts matcha and cocoa powder, but classic recipes have nothing but vanilla extract to flavor it. Bake up one of these beauties in a loaf or Bundt pan.
3Red Velvet Cake
cake-type
This is a true favorite, especially in the south. Made with either butter or oil, red velvet cake's color classically comes from the reaction of buttermilk and cocoa powder. Modern versions often achieve this hue by using red food coloring, or in the case of the raspberry velvet cake, shown here, pink.
4Carrot Cake
cake-type
BRETT STEVENSGETTY IMAGES
Leavened with baking soda and baking powder, this shortened cake uses oil as its main fat rather than butter. The addition of grated carrots makes the cake extra moist. Carrot cake is also flavored with warm spices and frosted with a rich cream cheese frosting. Pecans or walnuts are optional!
Recipe: Carrot Cake

5Sponge Cake
cake-type
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This is a foam-style cake that has no artificial leaveners (baking powder or baking soda). It gets its volume solely from whipped eggs —either whole eggs or simply whites. This cake takes well to being soaked in a flavored syrup (try soaking with a lemon syrup and serve with a dollop of lemon curd), layered with whipped cream and smashed berries, or if baked up thin, rolled in the Christmas classic, Buche de Noel.
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Bakers tried to send cakes to senators asking them to let Bolton testify in impeachment trial




By Allen Kim, CNN
    (CNN) -- An activist and the owners of a New York city bakery teamed up to find a sweet way to pressure Republican senators to subpoena testimony from President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton: With cake.

Colin Bishopp, the executive director for the environmental nonprofit PACE Foundation, worked with Brooklyn-based Butter & Scotch to send what they're calling "impeachment cakes" to the offices of 53 GOP senators.

So far, cakes have only been delivered to the offices of Republican Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi. Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz's office turned his cake away.

Bishopp raised over $7,007 for the project on GoFundMe, telling CNN he reached his initial funding goal in only three hours.

"We tried to come up with an example of something that everyone likes, something that every senator would have to agree is fundamentally good. All we could come up with is cake," Bishopp said. "Everyone loves cake ! We figured that if Republican senators are going to ignore the facts being delivered to them by every other medium, why not try to reach them with cake?"

Bishopp said that Butter & Scotch was the "obvious choice" as they not only make delicious cakes but are also "willing to stick their neck out for things they believe in."

"Logistically, it was going to be a nightmare, but I wanted to find a way to do it because I thought it was such a fun project and an awesome way to protest," Butter & Scotch co-owner Keavy Landreth told CNN.

Transporting 53 sheet cakes from Brooklyn to Washington is no easy feat, so instead of baking all 53 cakes, the bakers decided it would be much easier to locally buy 53 sheet cakes and to decorate and write on all of them.

Butter & Scotch general manager Stephanie Gallardo packed 50 pounds of frosting and sprinkles into a suitcase and took a train down to Washington on Tuesday. The next day, she spent about six hours writing cheeky and pun-filled messages on the cakes.

The cakes had messages such as: "This trial is half-baked without witnesses," "Don't go baking my heart" and "The truth is delicious."

While the messages on each of the online cakes varied from one to the next, there was one clear message at the end of nearly every cake delivery online : "Let Bolton testify."

Bishopp said his team called the Senate Sergeant at Arms' office the night before to ensure that they would be allowed to deliver the cakes to each senator's office. However, Bishopp said, that once word started to spread about the cakes, the Sergeant at Arms changed the rules to only allow Senate staffers to deliver the cakes.

The Senate Sergeant at Arms' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN.

"What we'd like to ask each Republican senator to do is step outside of the D.C. echo chamber for a minute, have a piece of cake, and remember what's good," Bishopp said. "Checks and balances are good. Fair trials are good. Cake is good. Our nation's forebears knew these things, and each Republican senator ought to know them too. The Republicans who refused to receive a cake today seem to need a reminder."

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Top 5 Valentine’s Day Dining Spots in the Twin Cities

White Castle for Valentine's Day

Ready for Valentine’s Day? No? Food critic Jason DeRusha offers Twin Cities picks:
4. White Castle
16 Twin Cities locations
1. Cafe LurcatMinneapolis
source - https://www.minnesotamonthly.com/food-drink/top-5-valentines-day-spots-in-the-twin-cities/
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Valentine's Day 2020: Top unusual date ideas in the Midlands and Shropshire




See how you and your date fare when locked in a room, faced with a series of puzzles, with the aim of breaking out in under an hour.
Take on Dr Wilson's Office, horror-themed Room 13, The Lab and brand new Time Machine all with different difficulty levels.
This brilliantly innovative game really puts the heat on and makes you work together - and would certainly make for a memorable Valentine's Day.

Amerton Farm - Stafford

Amerton Farm

In terms of romance this is a winner; it has a bakery, a playbarn and a toy shop, a farmyard and to top it all off, a series of ice creams made with Jersey cream.
If you fancy getting a bit crafty, there is traditional pottery shop where you can paint a pot or step back in time when you go to Bates' Blacksmith, giving the experience of days gone by when you could see real crafts people at work.

Hoo Farm - Telford

Hoo Farm

Perfect for animal lovers everywhere, Hoo Farm offer a range of animal experiences for you to share your love with their resident keepers.
Choose from a Wild Cat experience, lemurs, meerkat, binturong and varied keeper for a day experiences that involve feeding, cleaning and interacting with some of the world's rarest creatures.
Aside from experiences, there are plenty of things to do around Hoo Farm such as interactive exhibits, indoor and outdoor play areas, a tea room and their famous sheep racing event.

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THE VERGE UNDER $25 GIFT GUIDE 2019

When you are gift-giving on a budget, it can sometimes feel difficult to find the right gift for the right price. But a great gift online delivery doesn’t have to cost a small fortune. Even if you are working within a limited price range, there are lots of potentially great gift ideas for all types of people.
And so, with the help of The Verge staff’s accumulated knowledge, we’ve come up with a list of gift suggestions that won’t break the bank. From the $7 Mairico kitchen shears to a $25 PDP Faceoff Nintendo Switch controller, we’ve got 10 great gift ideas whether you need something for a friend, loved one, co-worker, or secret Santa or white elephant recipient.

BAUM-KUCHEN IDEA NOTEBOOK

Sometimes you just need an analog place to put your ideas. These notebooks are ideally suited for the task with 72 pages of gridded paper. They’re perfect for sketches, diagrams, or written text — whatever helps you get your ideas out. Price: ~$11
Buy on:
Baum-Kuchen

CB2 BLACK DIP LARGE MUG

This two-tone mug looks great and won’t break the bank. Why start your morning by drinking coffee out of a clear mug you got from a random event when you can begin your day with a little more style. Price: ~$7
Buy on:
CB2

MAIRICO HEAVY-DUTY KITCHEN SHEARS

Kitchen scissors are an often-overlooked but incredibly useful tool to have in your home. Whether you need to cut meat, trim flowers, open packages, crack nuts, or even open a bottle, these scissors are great for all of your kitchen needs. Price: ~$7
Buy on:
Amazon

1PASSWORD SUBSCRIPTION

If your loved ones are ignoring your (very sensible) advice to set up and use a password manager, then get them this. They might just feel guilty enough to actually use it. Price: $10 to $100
Buy on:
1Password

PDP FACEOFF DELUXE+ SWITCH CONTROLLER

PDP’s wired Switch controller plugs into your dock and enables some things that aren’t possible with Nintendo’s own Pro controller. You can plug in headphones for private listening and voice chat in supported games. Price: ~$25
Buy on:
Amazon
Walmart

BEAM ELECTRONICS UNIVERSAL SMARTPHONE CAR AIR VENT MOUNT

This simple but well-designed air vent mount grips your phone safely, opens at the touch of a button, and provides space for a power cord and audio cord (provided your phone still uses one). Price: ~$13
Buy on:
Amazon

MAGNETIC PERSONALITIES

Need some inspiration? These finger puppet versions of famous writers, scientists, and politicians are magnetized so they can stick to your monitor. Or you can just pop one on your finger and pretend you’re conversing with Sigmund Freud, Jane Austen, Langston Hughes, or Schrodinger’s cat. Price: ~$7
Buy on:
Magnetic Personalities

RAILROAD INK

Railroad Ink is a compact and simple game about trying to draw a better train network than your friends based on dice rolls of different intersections of tracks. Even though you are all using the same pieces, how the networks actually look at the end will be very different. Price: ~$20
Buy on:
Amazon

SHARK SOCKS

They’re socks. They’re sharks. They’re shark socks! And they look like a cozy knit shark is about to eat your feet. What else do you need? Price: ~$10
Buy on:
Amazon

THE RAVEN TOWER BY ANN LECKIE

This is Leckie’s first fantasy novel. Much like her Imperial Radch science fiction series, it tells the story from the perspective of someone who doesn’t think or process things the way a human does. In this story about how gods and humans coexist in this fantasy world, it helps to draw a starker contrast on how different they are. Price: ~$10
Buy on:
Amazon
Walmart
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