HOT TIPS : PARTIES THAT TAKE THE CAKE.

You want your child's birthday party to be special, but you don't want to have to take out a loan or take a week off from work to do it, right?

Well, the writers at FamilyFun magazine have come up with a book to help you turn your child's party into something he or she will remember for years to come. ``FamilyFun's Parties'' (Hyperion; $24.95) is packed with ideas for parents who decide to skip the annual trip to Chuck E. Cheese and opt for something really original. But while the ideas are high in fun, they are low in cost and not a lot of work.

The book, which covers not only birthdays but parties for all occasions, includes everything from invitations to thank you notes for 100 different parties. Decorations, food, games, crafts, activities, party favors and prizes - they're all in there, and with its sturdy spiral binding, this useful guide will last for many years, and parties, to come.

You can throw a Cinderella party for your little princess, with guests in ``rags'' transformed into the belles of the ball.

Or, for preteens, get your old Lava lamps and strobe lights out of the attic and create a disco dance club party, complete with the ``Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack. Oh, and don't forget to play Twister.

This book has color illustrations on every page and is full of helpful suggestions - even the margins contain ideas sent in by FamilyFun readers. And since all of the parties have been kid-tested, you can almost guarantee that yours will be a success.

- Sharon Cotal

This was so much work

Only Dilbert would understand. The supervisorial clearance. The interdepartmental negotiation. The flurry of paperwork it took to make these five paragraphs see publication.

All of it accomplished while abiding by Scott Adams' stern advice, as embodied in the title of his latest Dilbert reprint book, ``Don't Step in the Leadership'' (Andrews McMeel Publishing; $9.95).

Featuring Adams' cartoons published in newspapers like the Daily News from January to October 1998, you'll chuckle again at Dilbert and gang scavenging off the desk of a co-worker who just quit and the new benefits plan that counts restroom breaks as vacation time.

If all this talk of office politics leaves a bad taste in your mouth, the people behind Dilbert brainstormed this one just for you: Dilbert Mints. Like Altoids with an attitude, these white peppermints shaped like Dilbert characters come in collectible tins named Accomplish-Mints, Improve-Mints, Manage-Mints and Perform-Mints (suggested retail price of $1.79-$1.99 at some convenience stores).

If you'd prefer to relieve stress by ripping someone's head off, then Gummy-Berts ($1.29) may be more your speed. Like the mints, the fruit gummies come shaped like the Dilbert characters. Any bets the Pointy-Haired Boss gets eaten first?

- Betty Kwong

Double your cooking pleasure ...

What's for dinner tonight?

If you're like most harried people these days, you're weighing your options between fast food and something microwavable.

Efficiency is key. And that was the thinking behind Maytag's latest oven model, the Gemini. The double oven that should take up no more room than the one you already have is space efficient and time efficient.

With the new ovens, you can broil the meat, roast the vegetables, or toast the French bread and have it all ready at the same time.

Taking its name from the zodiac sign of the twins, the Maytag Gemini range features two ovens - one for those big meals for the entire family, and one that not only bakes, broils, warms and toasts, but heats up twice as quickly and handles smaller-sizedishes.

Maytag got the idea for the Gemini range by going into consumers' homes and watching them prepare meals. Time and again, they saw people compromising on time and temperature for different menu items.

The Maytag Gemini range retails for $1,399 and will be available in July, but if it's something you know you can't live without, you can reserve one through June 20 at participating Maytag appliance retailers. For more information, access the Maytag Gemini Web site at gemini.maytag.com.

- Sharon Cotal

CAPTION(S):

7 Photos

Photo: (1--4--Color) ``FamilyFun's Parties'' features ideas for a variety of children's theme parties, featuring novelty cakes, including, clockwise from far left, the Mermaid Party, Disco Dance Club, Pirate Party and the Barnyard Bash.

(5--Color) no caption (Book cover - Don't Step in the Leadership)

(6--Color) no caption (MANAGE-MINTS)

(7--Color) no caption (Magtag Gemini oven)