For those of us busy moms with no time to make cakes, I stumbled upon the greatest bakery EVER in Albany. She made a cake that looked exactly like this one (I took her the photo) and it was amazing! Check out Sweet Things Bakery for their cakes, cupcakes and lunch.

In the meantime, need more ideas from you to finish up the cake section for the magazine. A while back we asked MOM Blog readers, “Do you make your own birthday cakes?” Here’s what some of them had to say. Add your own note in the comments section below.

raeann–I used to make my own b-day cakes. Now Dairy Queen makes them for me. She rocks!
madisynlynae0–YES! My hubby and I make them together. The biggest hit so far has been our castle cakes. My daughter requests this every year. So far we’ve done it twice!
momofEs–Yes I do, I figure it’s my one time a year to make something special and different, especially now that my oldest can give me input. I like being creative.
alhelms– Yes, my favorite is cupcakes made into a cake! (last year it was a big flower) Easy to hand out and fun to frost with my daughter. (and to eat of course!!)
Scrappincannon– Half the time I make them and about half I buy them! Costco, Basket and Robbins, or New Morning Bakery.
Krista – I do!    In fact, my son is turning two next week and is totally into trains. I got a train cake mold (the one from Willams Sonoma, have you seen it?) and can’t wait to make it!
cnhrogers– I have done both~
elizabeth– Sometimes depending on how much time I have. I often add toys to the top of home made or store bought cakes.
vanderwal– Of course, can’t decide a favorite between a train with 10 cars or the pile of “dirt” with bugs, etc. crawling on it!!!
oddbirdd– My twin girls are only 10 weeks old so no cake for them yet! My mom always made our cakes growing up and I plan to make b-day cakes for my girls too!
madisynlynae01– I guess I should say I have made the cakes and I have bought them too. Making them every year would be giving me too much credit.
lzbthj– Ice cream cakes are the only way to go.
Kassie– I have tried and failed at many cakes. They all look better in my head than in reality. My youngest turns three on Sunday, and Costco will do the baking.
laninamialegria– Not always but when I make them I try to do my own creations with m & m’s, little kisses, white chocolate figures or lollipops.
adc397– My mom has a great recipe for an ice cream cake that my son just loves!
lynnbos– the latest for me is doing the Cold Stone Creamery cakes! Like them better than DQ…or i sometimes go with homemade Cupcakes(with cherries in the middle of course)
hosersgirl– Yes I do make my own birthday cakes, sometimes my cake making mom makes them for us, and my sister has even made a cake for our family birthday parties….this last party we had it at the bowling alley and I made bowling pin cupcakes and bowling ball cupcakes….much fun!!
sabrina– I usually make the birthday cake myself.
dhoover– I have made birthday cakes since I was 9 years old, I am now 50. I just have always liked making cakes.
kimberlr– I have 10 kids and 1 grandson. We have nearly one birthday a month so sometimes I will make them, sometimes my mother will make them, sometimes my 2nd & 3rd oldest will make cakes….but lately most often it seems that we have been SOOO busy with sports that we have just been buying them from Costco and adding out own special touches to them! We also do those nice little cupcake cakes from Wal-Mart. They are adorable! My answer would be a bit of both depending on how busy with sports, etc., we are!
Tammy– My kids love homemade cupcakes. Brownies are also a big hit. I enjoy baking for them and with them so it is always a treat.
Kristal– Are you kidding me? What Mom has that kind of time? I don’t! Although I do seem to have the hour or so to get in the car, go to the store, reserve the right cupcake/cakes, drive home, go back to the store on the birthday party day to pick up the cupcakes/cake, drive home, etc….LOL…PERHAPS I do have the time… Although, it doesn’t help that I am not very creative, either!
MaryWebb– I make them sometimes, or Dairy Queen makes them. We really like those ice cream cakes. This year my 14 year old son wanted a homemade cake…so that’s what we had!! :o)
jbrobidart– When my oldest was very young I would buy the Wilton character cake pans like bunnies, Big Bird and the very favorite was a bear pan that was sitting upright and you baked the cake upside down in the oven. Then, you would take the pan off (it was in two peices and it had clamps to hold it together while baking) and sit it up and decorate it. If you were having a baby shower, you could cut the ears off and decorate the face and skin color like a baby. We loved that cake pan!! I did this until my youngest of four was born and I didn’t have time to cook a cake. Walmart Bakereis are wonderful things!!

Check out our first cover MOM: Brianna Rose Monson!

Looking for something to do with your child this winter? The Corvallis Sports Park Winter 2 session starts February 2nd-6th. Parents can sign up anytime before that for kids ages 18 months – 12 years old. Classes are open enrollment and the session is only 9 weeks long for parents’ convenience. Learn more here!

A highlight of the day’s festivities included a weigh-in of all the 2009 babies, with McKenzie Willamette donating money to the March of Dimes based upon the total weight of the babies. While some babies were more reluctant than others to be weighed, a sizable donation was still able to be made to March of Dimes.

One mom’s story that struck me was she said that not only had her baby been born at McKenzie Willamette Hospital in 2009, but that both her and her husband had been born there as well! It’s wonderful that McKenzie Willamette has been at the heart of Springfield/Eugene for many years and will continue to do so.

Personally, I loved seeing all the babies (I even got to hold some!) and brand new parents. It took me back to when my boys (now 4 and 6) were infants. My, how time flies. It’s true what they say:

McKenzie Willamette – a Great Place to be Born!

(Photo Courtesy of Jessica Coleman Photography.)

Here’s Alex doing one of my exercise videos. I started doing it with both of them, and they LOVE it. Alex asks often (several times a day) for me to put on the video so we can exercise.

They were such a hit, in fact, that my daughter insisted on having some of her own.

The MOM Rock Candy Electric Guitar  Giveaway so exciting. Thanks to Daisy Rock Guitars and to all the fun responses to our big question:  What is your favorite holiday song?

Winning Comment #16  = Heidi Minten Dec. 17, 2009 at 2:40 pm
“Hands down for me it is “Mary Did You Know” every year I have to buy another artist version of the song off ITunes. The part in Mary Did You Know that touches me is where it says: Mary did you know that when you kiss your baby boy you kiss the face of God. It really makes you ponder the wonder of Jesus and his birth.”

MOM is giving away this Pink Rock Candy guitar! Enter now – click here.
See product details on the Daisy rock web site.

There’s still a chance for you to win! Enter the Timberhill Shopping Center $1000 Shopping Spree Giveaway before Dec. 21. Enter here.

The MOM Shopping Spree Giveaway was a fun one. Thanks to Timberhill Shopping Center and to all the fun responses to our big question:  What did you do on Black Friday?
Winning Comment #5  = Sylvia Dec. 14, 2009 at 8:06 pm

Thanks to all the fun responses to our big question:  Where are you traveling to this holiday season?

Winning Comment #4 = April Ward Dec. 18, 2009 at 1:15 pm

“We have some family up in Washington, so we will drive up there and spend 2 days and then drive back. My birthday is 2 days after Christmas – so I like to be home for that :)”

Winner was chosen randomly by number drawing at random.org.

Enter now! Don’t miss your chance to win more exciting prizes. Click here for more contests!