There's no church law that says Italians must eat seafood on Christmas Eve, but there may as well be one. That's because I've never had anything but seafood on that night. Not only is seafood part of our tradition, but there are many courses of seafood on that night. Unfortunately my husband's family had a different menu from my family, so we've had to come up with a compromise every year. I'm still planning our menu for this year, but I'm sure I'll have our Christmas Eve Seafood Feast figured out by tomorrow.

I've done more Christmas shopping than I care to think about over the past week. If I don't see another mall for the next 6 months, it will be a good thing. And yet, there are still a few things left on my list. I did find recently a new book that would make a great hostess gift. If you're still in the market for a hostess gift or two, you'll want to read this review of "Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home."

_{Photo © Clarkson Potter Publishers}

• Read how this Snowman Theme Birthday Cake was made.

• Visit other Kid Friendly Birthday Cakes.
• Wordless Wednesday On About.com.
• More Wordless Wednesday

If you're a frequent visitor on the internet, you may have discovered a new tradition that has cropped up called "Wordless Wednesday." This tradition captures the spirit of the sentiment that a picture can speak a thousand words. That's why I thought I'd give it a try on this site. I'll feature reader cake photo submissions. And if you have a beautiful centerpiece you've created, or lovely tablescape, I'd be happy to showcase those photos too. Just use this simple submission form to send those photos my way.

_{Photo ©Donna Pilato}

My husband often walks around mumbling about needing more shelves for my cookbooks. And I ask you, "is that a problem?" Which is why I believe a good cookbook is a great gift for your favorite hostess, and why I've put together a list of my cookbook top picks. A cookbook is a resource, a source of inspiration, and a place to simply dream.