To not do party bags?

[curiousgeorgie]

My DD2 is turning 1 next month and we've been planning a massive party for her. It's been a lot of planning and a lot of work. 60 - 70 people, marquee, face painter, magician, bouncy castle and I've put a lot of time and effort into the theme and decorations.

I'm thinking about party bags and all the children are different ages, it varies wildly between newborn and teenagers... So all the bags would have to be different. It feels like a total pain in the arse, wibu to just buy the beautiful carriage cake boxes I've seen and not do bags?

www.b-loonyballoons.co.uk/helium-gas/

Just give everyone a packet of sweets - they mainly care about the sweets.

gamerchick is that not like using a tobacco company's website to 'prove' that smoking doesn't kill? Helium is an element, one of the lightest there is so I'd have thought very easy to separate from 'impurities', but very difficult to recapture once it's escaped into the atmosphere.

Here's an article from the Independent - ok not above reproach but I'd trust them over a party balloon company with a huge vested interest. It does quote scientists who use helium in medicine www.independent.co.uk/news/science/a-ballooning-problem-the-great-helium-shortage-8439108.html

gamerchick quite a lot of scientists (relevant ones) seem to disagree with you on the helium thing:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19676639
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24903034
chemistry.about.com/b/2013/12/02/will-we-run-out-of-helium.htm

...ad infinitum.

There's no such thing as "waste" heliium. There IS "wasted" helium, that that includes the helium in party balloons.

Helium balloon company claims helium balloon are perfectly environmentally responsible. Quelle surprise.

I'm sure a balloon seller knows a great deal more about chemistry and environmental sustainability than all these know-nothing earth scientists with their fancy degrees, peer-reviewed articles and professional reputations to consider.

There was a thread about helium balloons recently. It all got incredibly heated. I'm on my phone, so I can't link, but worth a read.

On the original question - I see the OP has made a decision, but I don't think it is unreasonable to not do party bags. I thought whoever posted that it would make the UP seem mean and stingy was ridiculous - yeah, sure, after the entertainers, etc etc.

It is useful to have something to send kids home with, not least to signal the end of the party, but a bit of cake in a little box is perfectly adequate for that.

Ok, not convinced. That is an unsupported statement. I have googled and there are numerous quotes from respected scientists saying that we should not be wasting helium in party balloons - they do not differentiate between different types of helium or mention that 'balloon helium' is a waste product.

Shame not to give anything to go home with - cake in a box is fine though, as is a bag with some cake and bubbles (everyone all ages like bubbles) and the sweetie comes sound good too.

The only thing YABU about is to spend so much time worrying about carriage cake boxes versus party bags for a one year old's party, as opposed to something like a wedding. Are you not providing enough for guests to be grateful about?