Public Service Announcement: Birthday Cake...

One should never assume that just because Publix has the cake you want on their website that they have it in your local store. J wanted this cake (in boy colors of course)...I show up to Publix on Friday to order J's cake and all they have is a pink, purple and teal ice cream cake for girls in their book. None of their cakes can be changed to boy colors due to copyright policies so that was not going to work. They can order the Scooby Doo and Shaggy Mystery Machine kit from another store but it won't arrive until Tuesday. That's three days too late...

What does a desperate Momma do when all else fails? She goes to WalMart. Honestly, I despise Walmart and try hard not to EVER shop there. I won't say I NEVER go there but we deliberately try not to if we can find it elsewhere (that's another post in itself). So, I schlepped it over to Wally World to order my son's cake and gave them all the specifics. They were EVEN going to make it boy colors AND a pull-a-part cupcake cake at no extra charge. Copyright...schnopyright...Woohoooo...maybe Walmart isn't so bad after all? Ha.

I show up an hour before his party to pick up the birthday cake. OK, it looks OK, a little sloppy and it's certainly no Rebekah Lacy but it will do. Off to the checkout...HEY, wait a minute...they forgot the Happy Birthday J!!! It's just a blank cake!

Me: "Excuse me, but could you please have someone put his name on it?" (You know, the name I wrote down and clarified the correct spelling twice before I left?)
Walmart girl: "Oh, I wonder why they didn't do that? I'm so sorry but there's noone here that can do that right now."
Me: "Noone?"
Walmart girl: "Noone. I mean, you know, I could TRY to do it for you" (shrugging her shoulders)
Me: "Ummmmmmmm...no thanks"

What to do? What to do? What to do? I've got it! I'll call Rebekah. Rebekah, my sweet wonderful friend who usually makes all of our birthday cakes but happens to be cookin' a little baby in her belly right now and cake making is on the back burner this year, you know THAT Rebekah. "Rebekah! Could you PAAAALLLLEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZ help me? blah blah blah I hate Walmart blah blah blah. Yes, you can? Oh, thank you my friend, you are awesome" Click. So, what does my sweet and talented friend Rebekah whip up at a last minutes notice...Could it be the niftiest last minute HB sign in all the world? I think it is the cutest part of what I now lovingly refer to as "the ghetto cake". Ghetto cake=cheap, a bit sloppy, relatively tasty but made by someone who forgot the most important part of a birthday cake...the HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY ______!

So, in true Public Service Announcement form, what did I learn from all of this?

1. Do not wait to the last minute to order a birthday cake.
2. Do not assume you are OK to wait until the last minute because the picture is online.
3. Do not order a cake from Walmart (unless you are OK with the risks)
4. Do not meander through everyday life without great friends who can save your tush at a moments notice. (Thanks for saving the day Rebekah!)