"Why don't you get them at Walmart?" George says, nonchalantly.
"WALMART! NO WAY!" I respond, emphatically. "I'm baking them myself!"
George nods his head and smirks just a bit. He knows better than to argue with me. I know what he's thinking anyway. And he knows that he's got me thinking too, even though he hasn't said a word.
My many thoughts: "Yeah, I know. Just because Marlene made those great cupcakes from Nigella's recipe and pretty much every other mother has brought some form or other of gourmet cupcakes doesn't mean that I have to. The kids are one and two, for Pete's sake. They don't know the difference. Why am I getting myself all worked up? I haven't made cupcakes in a bazillion years. George is right. I just want to look like some idealized vision of a perfect mom, and he's calling me on my B.S.!"
So here are the cupcakes...
When the other mothers at the baby class said they looked great and asked if I made them, I said, "I cannot tell a lie…WALMART!"
All the moms laughed. None of them seemed to care. Or, if they did, they kept it to themselves like the gracious ladies that they are. Probably, one or two even appreciated the preemptive move of forfeiting the cupcake race entirely. And a few even indulged in a big-box-store-brand, assembly-line-made cupcake.
Oh, and, they were a big hit with the kids, too.
When my husband and I talked about the giant cupcake score, he said "Good call getting them at Walmart, Rachel!!"
Then, he smirked again. This time, I smirked too. And said, "Thanks!"
We both knew exactly what the other one was thinking.
Do you ever have an idealized vision of a perfect mom sitting on your shoulder and nagging you?
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I love to bake, but will say this Walmart does make some really good cupcakes and takes so much of the actual legwork out of it. Good job Rachel and seriously couldn't help, but smile on this one!! :)
ReplyDeleteI am 100% positive all the other moms were so desperately grateful to you and to Wal-Mart for those cupcakes. :-)
ReplyDeleteNot going to say "never" but I'm pretty sure I won't be making too many cupcakes in my life. And yes, I feel a little guilty if I think about it. My cousin made her son a cake in the shape of an excavator last year. I fold.
ReplyDeleteThen again, that's just not the mom that I am. But maybe he will run a marathon with me some day or visit Africa. :)
Are you kidding?? I'm supposed to entertain them, make sure they can read, do math and spell correctly by the time they go to kindergarten, make sure they are healthy but not overweight, set a good example so they know that women have all the rights as men, not watch too much tv in front of them, blah, blah, blah. I'm kind of glad we keep our kids at home. I don't think I could take the peer pressure. :)
ReplyDeleteI NEVER make cupcakes, or buy them at the expensive bakery! Forget it, the kids love the ones from the grocery store, and I do to! They'll even decorate for free! I'm glad you told them where you got them, I bet they were all relieved to know they could give up the charade too!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong with getting cupcakes at walmart! Good job!
ReplyDeleteYou may have bought them at Walmart, but you took the time to arrange them on that lovely plate.
ReplyDeleteI probably would have taken them in their original plastic container. I'm classy like that.
Yeah, I have NEVER made a birthday cake for my kids. And I probably never will. And I still cringe when I see other moms with their gorgeous handmade cakes.
ReplyDeleteI make my own, because people need something to make fun of and someone needs to keep CraftFail in business.
ReplyDeleteI buy baked goods at WalMart often. I don't like to bake. Or cook. So bakery sections are my best friend.
ReplyDeleteSometimes perfection is in a Walmart cupcake! I'm a cupcake whore so I like to make my own when I can but it's time consuming and annoying and buying somedays is what works!
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(¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
www.raising-reagan.com
Birthdays are about fun and joy and celebrating life. Who cares if the cupcakes or cake come from a store, a boxed mix or from scratch?! The end result is what matter most and no one is going to remember what they ate anyway! My daughter's 8th birthday is Sunday and she doesn't even want a cake! She wants Churros!
ReplyDeleteWalmart's cupcakes would look far better than mine. Believe me, when it's snack day for my kiddos, I'm right at the bakery window looking for what to purchase. ;)
ReplyDeleteYep. That idealized mom fell off my shoulder a loooong time ago. She hasn't been missed . . .
ReplyDeleteLove this! That is so me too. I knocked idealized mom to the curb a long time ago, but she once was there. :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your Wal-Mart decision! I don't even mess around when it comes to impending birthdays: I just ask my boys, "What do you want Wal-Mart to put on your cake this year?" The cakes always look and taste SO good...and I can't even TRY to compete with that. So I won't. :)
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you. *Dabs away tear.
ReplyDeleteOh I love this post! I'm afraid of how things will be when my boy starts elementary school because in kindergarten, birthdays means = moms brings cookies/cupcakes and elaborate souvenir for the other kids. Sigh. I am guilty for ordering my cupcakes tho ;)
ReplyDeleteI love baking, but not very keen on cupcakes (I'm a traditional-slice-of-cake-kind of girl. Nothing wrong with buying them at Walmart. :)
ReplyDeletefound you on the thirsty thursday blog hop and thought this was hilarious!! good for you!! real mommies dont always have time to bake so when push comes to shove.... WALMART!!
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I make no secret of buying ready made stuff. If I invite you for dinner, don't expect me to have spent preparing it and serving up a four course home cooked feast.
ReplyDeleteit will be take out.
I have invited you here to spend the evening with you, sharing your company, not face down in a saucepan.
I love a shop bought cake!
Super cute! I am new from southern charm! I would love for you to check out my blog and hopefully follow me back! Nicole
ReplyDeleteGOOD for you for not giving in to peer pressure and for going to Walmart. They only get eaten - all that hard work and in an instant they're gone :). Hope she had a great birthday. Thanks for linking again x
ReplyDeleteHello There, my name is Ashley and I am stopping by to say hello. I am loving your blog and the great posts you are putting out there.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much.
If you have some free time would you mind stopping by our blog as well at: www.ashleychapmandesigns.com/blog
We have an awesome giveaway running right now and a winner will be chosen at random on June 15. Why not come join the party!
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Ha! I thought of this post today when I was typing up my own and gave it a little shout out. My son took cupcakes in today, and believe me, they were not homemade (that's why they look so good). ;)
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