Pretty. Cool. Cakes. E-book Giveaway

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Winners announced shortly!!!

I am bound and determined to make Bubby’s birthday cake this year!  His birthday is on Tuesday…and we are having a small gathering to celebrate!  

I’m a wee bit nervous about making his cake this year. 

It’s not that I haven’t had luck with cakes in the past. 

I have. 

The probelm is that he asked for a “Super Why!” theme to his birthday.  And there are no “cake pans” with detailed instructions for making Super Why! cakes, like there are for Spiderman and other cartoons.  There are no “decorations” or “party hats” in the Super Why! theme, as it is such a young show!  We will have to make do…and hope for the best! 

I WILL, however, make him the best cake that I can…and in order to do that…I turned to the mama with 6 kids who has made a few cakes in her days, Jessica from Life As Mom!  She does a Birthday Cake Roundup a few times a year for others to show off their homemade birthday cakes…and there just so happens to be one later this week!

She has also put together an e-book about cakes…She explains in more detail about her Pretty. Cool. Cakes. E-book…

I’m no expert, believe me. I’m just a mom who likes to make cool cakes for her kids. When they told me that I couldn’t make them pie for their birthdays, I had to get creative. My basic formula is to take what interests my kids, find toys and candy to go with the theme and then create a scene on top of a cake. Think third grade diorama and make it edible. It’s pretty much what the bakery does, only

1. My kids have a lot of creative license in choosing a theme. The sky’s the limit in terms of themes.
2. The birthday child gets to keep an entertaining functioning toy rather than a useless, plastic cake topper.
3. I don’t pay a small fortune to celebrate with a festive cake.

Still not convinced you can do it? Then buy this book! (or sign up for the giveaway!)

This 34-page book includes photographs step-by-step instructions of thirteen different birthday cakes. Each one is based on a theme chosen by real live kids infatuated with fantasy heroes and storybook characters, just like every other child. Each cake can easily be adapted to your own child’s interests if ours aren’t his favorite. The many ideas represented here range from Star Wars to the Rainforest to Fancy Nancy as well as a few that will please older children, college students, and adults. But the best part of this book is the encouragement and inspiration it imparts.

You will see that it really isn’t difficult to create a festive, fun, and frugal birthday cake to celebrate the milestones in your family’s lives.

Jessica has graciously offered to GIVE AWAY 5 e-books…1 each to 5 lucky winners…details below!

AND…stay tuned, as she’s got some great surprises up her sleeve for later in the week…and I’ll fill you in on Wednesday night when I post the winners!

Giveaway Details

1. Contest ends Wednesday, July 15th at 5 pm EST. Winners will be announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

2. Entry #1: Leave a comment just saying you want to win.

3. Entry #2: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting it in a forum, posting about it on your blog, Tweet about it, emailing all your friends, and/or subscribe to my feed by email or in a reader).

4. Entry #3: In another separate comment, let me know what kind of cake or what theme cake you’ve made (or attempted to make) for your kiddo’s birthday!  Any tips or pointers would be helpful as well!!!

5. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

**NOTE: If you receive the email newsletter and wish to enter this giveaway, click on the title of this giveaway to get to the site and leave a comment on the site with your name and email address to be entered!

*Disclosure: I did receive a copy of the e-book in conjunction with this giveaway.  I have found it super helpful and full of great ideas, tips and tricks!