February 4th, 2010 larry
Get excited parents, there’s a great new place to take your children, Make-A-Messterpiece. WOW, WOW, WOW! I was completely impressed by the originality of this business. The Messterpiece folks have created a fabulous play place where kids can learn new things, have physical activity, play with unique tools, and create art. Make-A-Messterpiece is located in the Glen Tower Center, Glenview. They are open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. There are a number of pricing options for guests.
The standard Studio Fee is $10 ($2 for children under 2). This includes unlimited use of the Open Art area, which is filled with paints, markers, easels, tables and a variety of art materials, and two play areas. One play area is for children 0-2 years and the other for 2+. The 0-2 area is filled with over-sized soft blocks, ride-on toys, books, bouncers, and age appropriate toys. The 2+ area has a climbing structure, slide and playhouse. Aside from just open play, this area has been utilized by parents for doing some messier school projects that they didn’t want to do at home.
The really unique experiences come from 5 specialty areas. For an additional $5 per activity, your child can choose from:
Kids Creative Kitchen teaches science and math through healthy cooking projects. On the day we visited the project was Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Of course the kids do everything, as the leader teaches them about the ingredients, “Baking soda makes cookies fluffy!” Not only were the cookies yummy, they were VEGAN! Love it.
Bubbleology is something you will only see at Make-A-Messterpiece. They have designed a machine that produce bubbles infused with color, so that when your child holds a paper underneath the bubble tube, falling bubbles leave marks. As your child moves from color to color the art project develops. Stencils can be used to create fun designs. This was a huge favorite with out kids.
Lil’ Sprouts is used for gardening and environmentally conscious projects. Recently kids were taught about Carbon Footprints, and on our visit we did a project where spaghetti was repurposed as a painting tool in “Pollock Pasta.”
Experimentation Station will please any curious little scientist. We saw many happy kids making slime to take home to play with. They also taught the kids about chemical reactions with a Volcano Project.
Drum Roll is super-fun play a la Blue Man Group. After the kids suit up from head to toe in protective gear (shower caps, boots, goggles, jackets) they enter a booth filled with drums and paint. The kids then go to town drumming and making a HUGE mess. Too much fun.
Currently Make-A-Messterpiece is offering some great packages: A punch card with 20 activites for the price of 15 and 10 all access passes for the price of 5.
Messterpiece’s staff is exceptional. Many have degrees in creative arts, elementary education, art therapy, or childhood development. The staffers we met were young, friendly and energetic. You can just tell that they genuinely like children and enjoy their jobs. They are actively involved with the kids the entire time: playing, teaching, assisting.
This kind of attentive staff leaves parents the option to relax in Club M. Comfy sofas and chairs are plentiful, as are magazines and inexpensive snacks and beverages. Free WiFi is available and parents can watch their kids playing in various areas of the play place via video feeds on flat screen TVs. Club M is attached to the 0-2 play area for direct access to the smallest children.
Weekends are the busiest time to visit Messterpiece. As you can imagine, it has already become a popular birthday party venue. On Saturday, Sunday and school holidays allow plenty of time. Arrive as early in the day as possible, since kids are scheduled for activities on a first-come, first-served. If you can, visit during the week. We went on a Wednesday afternoon and were able to do everything we wanted without waiting.
We are the lucky folks who get to enjoy the first Make-A-Messterpiece in the country. It is the brainchild of a successful marketing expert and father. You will notice the product placement around the store from their sponsor, Bounty. It’s a match made in heaven that helped bring the concept to life.
I’m telling you, Make-A-Messterpiece is a real gem. This is one of those rare places that can entertain your 12, 8, 4, and 2 year olds. It is a fresh take on the best play places, combining art, science, cooking, physical activity, music and fun. The space is open and contemporary, with high ceilings and lots of natural light. Parents will be so comfortable that they can enjoy themselves as much as the kids.
***Many thanks to Crazy Kids Member Jamie for telling us about Make-A-Messterpiece! This type of contribution by our members helps makes Crazy Kids Chicago a great resource for Chicagoland parents. Please feel free to contact us, we love hearing from you.
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January 27th, 2010 larry
Whether your family reads the books or watches the cartoons, this show excels at bringing the characters to life. Curious George LIVE! is a new musical that is packed from start to finish with songs that tell the tale of George’s adventure from New York City to the streets of Rome. In this original story, George sets out to prove to the world that his friend, Chef Pisghetti, makes the best meatballs in the world. Performances of the show run between Thursday, January 28 - Sunday, January 31, 2010 at the Sears Center Arena in Hoffman Estates. Tickets are priced from $15-$38.
The production successfully creates a believable translation of the characters to the stage. The Man with the Yellow Hat, Professor Wiseman, Chef Pisghetti, and the Doorman are protrayed by actors who do spot-on impersonations of the characters voices and mannerisms. Their larger-then-life costumes translate perfectly. George’s animal friends Hundley and Gnocchi are cleverly depicted through simple puppetry. Of course George is the most difficult to portray. They did a great job with the costume, and tried their best to match his frenetic movement with some pretty cool tumbling. My 5 year-old was a little disappointed though. He wanted to see more climbing and “monkey stuff,” and I would agree. Overall they did an exceptionally believable job bringing these beloved characters to life.
Our favorite musical numbers were the opening productions of the first and second acts. “Special Delivery” followed by “Big Brown Box” makes for a bustling street scene. Both song are very catchy - they were what the kids were singing during intermission. The second act opens with a super fun song, “Straighten Up and Fly Right.” There is a cute gimmick with flashlights that makes for a cool visual effect. This song revolves around George stowing away on an airplane to Italy. It started the second half of the show off on a great note.
The low point for me is the pacing of the show. Pretty much the entire story is told through song. At times this is very successful, but at other times I would have preferred some of the story to have been told through dialog to move the production along. There was a great deal of antsy-ness going around around me near the end of the first act. The show is 1 hour 40 minutes long including a 15 minute intermission. For this age group I think a far shorter running time is more successful. The 5 year-olds I was with were able to sit through the entire show, but at times they were bored.
Even with some faults this is a fun show. From the festive lobby displays, to the intermission’s strolling vendors, to the great characterizations, this is a cute show for the pre-school aged Curious George fans in your life.
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January 20th, 2010 larry
We had a crew over for the football playoffs a couple of weeks ago and all the kids were comparing their holiday presents. It seems all the kids were comparing their new Leapster, Wii, and Nintendo games. They were discussing which game they liked, which games they were going to trade, and what they wanted to get next. However, just one week later, my kid was staring at his games. Mario Kart was still a blast. And everything else he either mastered, was bored of, and in some cases wasn’t old for.
We had the same problem with buying DVD movies. So we solved that problem by letting him take one of every 3 of our NetFlix movies. They come, he watches them many times, and we send him back, without the expense of buying the DVD. So I searched for similar services for games. SmartyRents and Gamefly came to my attention immediately.
SmartyRents has cornered the ”try before you buy” service for educational games. Started by credentialed teachers, they rent games for Leapster, Didj, Clickstart, Little Leaps, the V suite of game consoles (Smile, Motion, Flash, and Smile Baby). They have also gone through and documented the exact skill sets that each of the games teach so you know if it is age appropriate. Interestingly, they also have the back catalog for all of these consoles. So you can rent games that are actually out of circulation. Packages start at $9.99 a month for 1 game at a time and up to $24.99 for 4 games at a time.
Gamefly is concentrating on the exact opposite, more traditional part of the game market. Focusing on the Wii, PS3, PSP, XBOX, Nintendo Game Cube and Nintendo DS they sell everything from Super Mario Brothers to Grand Theft Auto. With over 7,000 games, you can rent one game at a time for $15.99 a month and 2 game at a time for $22.99 a month. The site sorts by popularity or release date and provides information on what type of equipment you need to play. So for Wii, it will let you know if you need the Steering Wheel for the game.
So if your kid seems to go off and on games like mine and you get frustrated at the $30-$50 games that are just sitting there next to your TV unused, SmartyRents and GameFly provide a great alternative using the NetFlix model.
Larry
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January 13th, 2010 larry
It is never clear when the start of sledding season begins. We got some decent snow over Christmas but then it turned unbearably cold right away. I think we went sledding 3 or 4 times around Christmas but not again since. Anyway, we thought we might as well talk about some of our favorite sledding attractions in the area. So bundle up and get ready for speed, snow ramps, and wipeouts.
Cricket Hill. We are partial to this “mountain” at Montrose and Lake Shore Drive. It is the right size for the under 7 year old and under crowd and the big kids build a ramp on most snowy days for you to try. Lots of cheering and encouragement for the kids that wipe out. This hill has some good speed, but because of the proximity to the lake can have a bit of a wind chill.
Soldier Field. I was tailgating for the last Minnnesota/Bears game and I saw all of these people catapulting down the side of the hill by McCormick Place. It is a very steep hill and not easy to find a parking space, but it has stairs which is always nice and rides extremely fast.
Warren Hill. Warren Hill (6601 Western avenue up north) has ice skating and a great sledding hill. It has stairs to get up the hill which is always preferrable. It can get pretty crowded but it has a lot of natural bumps (ramps) and is incredibly fast if it is a little icy on the hill.
Snowstar. Almost to Iowa (9500 126th Street in Andalusia) , but an incredible tubing ride. Snowstar is a ski mountain that you can tube down. Kids have to be at least 4 years old because they ride the tube alone but you can watch them from picnic tables down at the bottom. And don’t worry because they have a moving sidewalk to get kids up to the top. This is the real deal.
Elburn Forest Preserve. On Hughes Road in Elburn between Fayban Parkway and Route 47 there is sledding hill set up with bales of hay at the bottom to help prevent injury, though crashing in to the hay can sometimes be the best part. Keep your head up because there are lots of sledders coming down.
Campton Forest Preserve. Located at the corner of Rt 64 and Towne Hall Road in Wasco, IL, this is one of the steeper hills so it attracts a lot of speedsters and older kids. Definitely not for the squeamish.
Centennial Park. At 3100 Trail Way in Highland Park, this hill has park right at the bottom of the hill so no long journeys just to get to the sledding park (”Daddy, do I have to walk the whole way?”). It has stairs to get to the top and is typically not too crowded.
Other fairly serious sledding and tubing hills are the following:
1. Dan Ryan Woods, 87th and Western, Chicago.
2. Swallow Cliff Woods, Route 84 and Mannheim Road, Palos Park
3. Deer Grove, Quentin Road, north of Dundee Road in Palantine
4. Westchester Woods, Cermak Road, east of LaGrange Road, Westchester
5. Indian Hill Woods, 16th Street & Edgewood Avenue, Chicago Heights
6. Pioneer Woods, 107th Street, .5 mile west of LaGrange Road in Willow Springs
Larry and Donna
Dad Says: It is hard to pass up the speed of the natural hills like Montrose, but stairs really help if you have kids under 7 who are really struggling up the hill.
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January 6th, 2010 larry
The 101 Dalmatians Musical will be arriving in Chicago for a run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre from February 16-28, 2010. The show was in Boston in December and we covered it through Crazy Kids Boston. We loved it and gave it 5-stars. You’ll want to purchase tickets in advance as the show will probably become fairly popular. The show tickets are currently on sale and cost $18-$85.
Director Jerry Zaks has taken Dodie Smith’s classic tale to the stage. The 101 Dalmatians Musical presents the topsy-turvy, inside out world of the Dalmatians from the dogs’ point of view. Dalmatian characters are portrayed by adult actors while pups are portrayed by child actors. Humans are “differentiated” with exaggerated clothing and mini stilts that make them “larger than life.”
The tale follows the lives of Dalmatians Pongo and Missis Pongo who fall in love and are married. After a brief honeymoon “in the bushes” the Pongo’s are faced with the reality of impending parenthood. It is very well played. Their first musical number together “A Perfect Family” questions how hard parenthood could be. They’re both certain that their kids will be angels. There is humor at many levels. No family member will feel left out.
Rachel York made me think Cruella De Vil had stepped out of the Disney movie and onto the stage. She was wonderful and masterful. She brought forth an incredible lust for puppy fur. Cruella kidnaps the puppies and takes them to Castleville where they will soon become wardrobe. Pongo and Missis Pongo realize that their human “pets” will not be able to get their pups in time and realize it’s up to them to find the pups and bring them home. They send out the K-9 version of the Amber Alert and are soon on their journey.
I don’t want to spoil the adventure. My family enjoyed an exciting night of twists and turns. Something was there for everyone. Leaving the theatre I heard many people singing the catchy tune “Be a Little Bit Braver.” It’s still in my head at this point.
Probably best for children 4 and up (or a mature 3). Though I did see several toddlers be-bopping to the music.
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Ryan - Crazy Kids Boston
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December 2nd, 2009 larry
Wow - here we go again! We’re winding down another year of fun with our children in this great city. The holidays offer many, many special events to experience with the family. So whether your kids love art, music, dance, animals, or sports, there is an activity for your family. If any of these shows/events/classes interest you, I urge you make reservations ASAP. Many sell out in advance and I’d hate for you to be disappointed. So here we go…
Long Grove Holiday Festivities 2009, November 13 - December 31, Downtown Long Grove
The Nutty Nutcracker Christmas, Nov. 14, 2009 - Jan. 2, 2010, Apollo Theater, Chicago
Caroling at Cloud Gate, Fridays, Nov. 27 - Dec. 18, 2009, Millennium Park, Chicago
Wonderland Express, Nov. 27, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
Gingerbread Workshop at Emerald City Theater School, Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 28 - Dec. 27 and Wednesday, Dec. 23rd, Emerald City Theater School, Chicago
Winter Wonderfest, Dec. 4, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010 (Closed Christmas Day), Navy Pier, Chicago
Zoo Lights, Dec. 4-6, 11-13, Dec. 18-Jan. 3, (Closed Dec.24 & 25, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago
Holiday Magic, Dec. 5 - Dec. 31, 2009, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Breakfast with Santa, Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 5- Dec. 20, 2009, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Dance-Along Nutcracker, Dec. 6, 2009, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago
28th Annual Holiday Treasure Hunt and Tea Party, Dec. 6, 2009, The Modern Wing of the Art Institute, Chicago
Hanukkah Arts Workshop, Dec. 6, 2009, Spertus Museum, Chicago
Make a Gingerbread House, Dec. 8, 2009, American Girl Place, Chicago
Joffery Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Dec. 11-27, 2009, Auditorium Theater, Chicago
The Civic Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Dec. 12 - 13, 2009, Centre East, Skokie
Polar Adventure Days, Dec. 12, 2009, Northerly Island, Chicago
Barbie at the Symphony, Dec. 12, 2009, Rosemont Theatre, Rosemont
Milly’s Almost All Kid Holiday Spectacular, Dec. 13, 2009, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago
Hanukkah Dinner and Concert, Dec. 13, 2009, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
Welcome Yule! with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, December 18-23, 2009, Symphony Center, Chicago
Supper With Santa and Hot Chocolate with Mrs. Claus, Dec. 21 & 22, 2009, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
Chicago Sports Fest, Dec. 27 & 28, 2009, Mc Cormick Place, Chicago
Zoo Year’s Eve Celebration, Dec. 31, 2009, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Of course there are many other activities available, but these are the ones that really stand out to us. If you have a favorite activity that didn’t make the list, please let us know about. Have a wonderful holiday season!
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November 24th, 2009 larry
Good luck shopping for the upcoming holiday season. One thing that you should see is major discounts from the biggest retailers including Toys ‘R Us, Target, Walmart, Amazon, and of course the Comic Vault on Ashland and Montrose. I have received several emails this last week from Amazon looking at 25% off all sorts of toys including Mattel, Disney, and Toy Story. There is no substitute for getting toy recommendations from friends and family or just by watching Saturday morning cartoons and letting your kid point out what they want during commercials. However, there are a couple of resources you can use if you are looking for what is hot including the Toy Insider and Dr Toy. Below are the toys we had the most fun with this year in no particular order:
* Seven in One Maximus Draganoid. We would recommend any of the Bakugan toys and getting involved in this franchise but the Seven in One combines puzzles, action figures, and Bakugan all rolled into one.
*SORRY! Sliders. What a phenomenal sequal to the always fun classic SORRY!. This combines the gameboard with some physical skill and the ability to crash into your opponents sending them off the table.
*Nerf or Nothing. the new Nerf guns are wickedly fun. If you aren’t into play guns skip this recommendation, but you can get Nerf toys in all shapes and sizes that can shoot across the room without anyone getting hurt. They even have accessories for you to play capture the flag and Nerf dart tag.
* Battle Strikers. Battle Strikers is unique, fun, challenging and exciting. Using battery powered spinners, drop your battle strikers (each looks different, has a name, and certain qualities) on the play table and see which battle striker is left standing as they bang, spin, and crash into each other. Use the finger magnets to try to keep your battle striker spinning and crash into your opponent.
*RideMakerz. RideMakerz didn’t make it in Woodfield unfortunately, but their on-line store is still open. These remote control cars are cool, fast, durable, and fun to race.
*Dive Sticks. Affordable, simple, and hours of entertainment in the pool. These simple dive sticks blink, glow, sink, and float in the pool. They help your kid learn to swim (and sink) while still thinking they are playing.
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November 18th, 2009 larry
Adventure Stage Chicago continues to impress with their most recent production, Gossamer. Based on the book by Lois Lowry, Gossamer is the story of a fairy-like “dreamgiver” and the boy who she helps get through rough times with the power of dreams. This production will be playing at the Vittum Theater in West Town through December 17, 2009 and is recommended for children in 4th thru 8th grades. Tickets cost $8-$17 dollars.
Each time I see an Adventure Stage production I am struck by how maturely they address their young audiences (Holes, Katrina). There is no pandering. They choose serious subject matter, use sophisticated staging, and give heartfelt performances that are truly moving. Gossamer tells the story of a “dream-giver” in training named Littlest One. She is given a young boy to bestow dreams upon. The boy is very troubled due to an abusive past and needs to be strengthened by good dreams, and protected from painful nightmares. Littlest One is new to the job, but her elders soon learn that she is gifted with a deep sensitivity to what humans need. The play confronts child abuse head on, from the perspective of the boy, his mother and the older woman who takes the boy in as a foster child. Some of the scenes are heavy, but the show is appropriate for the suggested age group (8-14).
After every show the actors and director take questions from the audience. It is an intimate conversation as this is a small theater and the actors sit on the edge of the stage during the Q & A. On the day I was there, the young audience was enthralled by the fact that the actor who plays the boy is actually a young woman. They peppered her with questions and were obviously surprised by her performance and the casting choice. Also, the production incorporates puppetry, as well as an actor in an ingenious dog costume. These were topics the young audience had a lot of questions about as well. It is fun to see the cast talking to the kids about acting, production choices, casting, costumes - basically how theater works. I am sure that through their high-quality productions and approachable ensemble, Adventure Stage is inspiring the next generation of actors, directors, writers, and theater lovers.
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November 11th, 2009 larry
This weekend we took our 5 year old grandson to the Putting Edge Fun Center in Lincolnshire. A basic package for 1 round of golf and glow bracelets costs $9.35 for adults, $8.35 for Kids 7-12 years old, and $7.35 for kids 5-6 years old and seniors. Putting Edge is open 7 days-a-week and also available for birthday parties. This indoor glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course is quite unique. The walls, the accents, and the entire 18 hole course are painted so that it all glows in the dark. And we are big into glow in the dark right now, we have glow in the dark Batman, glow in the dark pajamas, and glow in the dark, and now we can play golf in the dark.
The 18-hole course is fun and challenging. There is an Adventure theme so as you play you meander through a castle and its grounds where there are knights, dragons, sea creatures, ships and sunken treasure. There is enough skill needed to entertain the big kids without frustrating the preschoolers. The Glow-in-the-Dark feature adds interest to the course as well as making it a bit more difficult.
Some of our faviorite holes where the spiraling downward ramp that leads the the sunken treasure and the hole hidden behind a dragon tail. The last hole is always fun. At Putting Edge, the last hole looks like a bullseye with 3 circles where you can win different prizes. You can roll the ball in with your hands or use your golf club. We let our grandson roll all of the balls in and cheer for the prizes he won.
The lobby is filled with arcade games, which is a definite kid magnet. It’s set up like any arcade with tokens, tickets and prizes. This is a nice feature if you have to wait for your tee time, or if you just want to extend your play time out with the kids.
We arrived early on Saturday morning, which was a good idea because we were there before the birthday parties began. We spent a couple of hours playing golf and arcade games and had a great time! For two senior citizens and a 5 year old, the green fees for one game of miniature golf, and a glow bracelet for each of us was about $22.00. And how can you say no to the room full of arcade games?
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Bubbie says: I’d go again. After the fact we saw that the Entertainment Book has a coupon for 20 free Arcade Tokens, so I’d definitely use that to help out on cost.
Pa says: The course was certainly different than any other course on which I’ve played, and that was fun.
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November 4th, 2009 larry
Time to move past the junky Halloween candy and get back to the good stuff. Chicago is home to so many great bakeries that we just wanted to chime in with our personal favorites. And let’s set the record straight, I’m talking about the best bakeries for parents. Kids will eat anything that comes out of a glass-fronted case. We are the ones who need to be impressed.
Best Italian Pastries: Pasticceria Natalina
This place takes its product very seriously. Each pastry is a work of art. They use the best ingredients available to make the most delicious and authentic Italian pastries you will ever eat. But beware - you get what you pay for. These treats are going to set you back big bucks, as much as $6 per pastry. The Sfogliatelle is my personal favorite - delicate pastry stuffed with heavenly ricotta.
Best Breakfast Treats: Dinkel’s
Doughnuts, coffee cakes, and danish - oh my! They are the best. I buy them when my husband has breakfast meetings and even the healthiest of eaters splurge on these treats. They are worth every calorie and carb. Get them fresh and eat them that day.
Best Fresh Fruit Pie: Hoosier Mama
This tiny storefront in West Town is a gem. They make the best fresh fruit pies. Cherry, blueberry, peach in the summer. Apple and pear in the fall. Not too sweet, these pies let the taste of the fruit shine through. Sit in the window booth with a slice and a big glass of milk - yum.
Best Cookies: Tie - Cafe Selmarie and Bittersweet
There are so many different types of cookies that it is hard to choose just one. Cafe Selmarie makes the most wonderful jam filled cookies. Whether you enjoy the kalochkies, financiers, or linzer hearts and circles, each little treat is sure to satisfy. Bittersweet excels with their dainty mini cookies. Bring an assortment for your hostess gifts during the holidays. Do not miss the chewy, brownie-like chocolate macaroons.
Best Cupcakes: Tie - Molly’s and Sweet Mandy B’s
I know this is a controversial subject, but I need to weigh in. I am not a cupcake lover, so when I love a cupcake it means something. Molly’s are delicate and have a great flavor variety. You can get an assortment of minis which is a fun way to try a variety of flavors. Sweet Mandy B’s is the dream cupcake - big with a ton of awesome frosting. At both of these places the cake is moist (but not falling apart) and the frosting is perfect. You can’t go wrong with either one.
Best Birthday Cakes: Dinkel’s
They get a second nod in my book. These are the perfect kid’s birthday cakes. Moist cake, great frosting (butter cream is my favorite) and fantastic fillings, parents ALWAYS have a slice at a party with a cake from Dinkel’s. I also love that Dinkel’s offers so many fun themes for cakes. If your kid is anything like mine, birthdays are a BIG DEAL. So part of our tradition includes going to the Dinkel’s website and looking at all the different ways his cake could be decorated. Delicious and fun - can’t beat that.
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