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Original poster

It's all gone t*ts up.

21 replies

carla · 05/04/2006 07:56

Yesterday, sw et al helped me with my post baptism tea planner.

After seeing Father McNab yesterday ... the service has changed, to 12.00pm, not 3.00pm, like it was with dd1.

Options:

Private caterer - tried a couple, all booked.
Restaurant - he said 'maybe' he could do it, for £17.50 a head!!!!

I just want to take my head somewhere now, and bury it.

That's even before I've got the industrial cleaners in, to help me get rid of the crap in this house.

This feels like a wedding, on a slightly smaller scale.

Please help with ideas, if you can.

OP posts:
Carmenere · 05/04/2006 08:05

Now Carla, calm down, try to remember the purpose of this occasion, it's a baptism and a celebration of your childs life. It is a party and it IS going to be FUN. The food is secondary and as long as you do your best and provide halfway decent food presented in a welcoming fashion people will be very happy.
How many people?
When is it?

Original poster
carla · 05/04/2006 08:08

20ish. On the 23rd. Of this month. But you ought to see my house. Dolls, doll's prams .... whatever ... everywhere.

OP posts:
Furball · 05/04/2006 08:10

Have you a nearby pub that can do a buffet or maybe in the church hall you could do your own buffet.

Original poster
carla · 05/04/2006 08:28

No, not a pub. And church hall feels so ... well, church hallish. Does that make sense?

Fell out with local pub, long story about H staying there 'till 2.00am constantly, last year.

OP posts:
Furball · 05/04/2006 08:30

There must be another pub nearby

morningpaper · 05/04/2006 08:30

Carla - change the date. There is no reason to do it this month.

morningpaper · 05/04/2006 08:31

We did ours in the house - got 70 people in here by moving sofas etc around and putting some furniture upstairs and in the garden. You don't need a lot of space really. It's the cheapest way.

Original poster
carla · 05/04/2006 08:32

I think I'm going to have to defy H and order a mini skip. So much stuff they've grown out of.

What bothers me is all their little works of art, that I've kept, and don't know what to do with. It's all over the blinkin' place.

We had a clear out for 'the poor children' - sorry about that, but we'd been to the Foundling Museum and that was the best I could do to try and encourage them to part with some stuff.

However, the living room still looks the same.

OP posts:
Original poster
carla · 05/04/2006 08:33

mp, did you do your own food?

Can you tell I've got my manic head on?!!! Smile

OP posts:
morningpaper · 05/04/2006 08:34

Carla get a box for each child - not too huge just a A4 type filing box - label CHILD A'S WORKS OF ART and put stuff in there. Anything that doesn't fit, chuck it out.

Hausfrau · 05/04/2006 08:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

morningpaper · 05/04/2006 08:35

We did our own food - I made three big curries and a tonne of rice. At dd1s I did two big chilis (one veg one meat) and a shed load of jacket potatoes. Lots of bread. Lots of booze. Stick to one simplemeal that will fill people up rather than fancy bits and pieces that will just make people feel queasy and drunk. :)

Carmenere · 05/04/2006 08:35

Suzy was right yesterday, you can easily buy lot's of deli foods and display them nicely on platters. A really nice cheese board with lots of lovely bread and some fruit and nuts. A big christening cake usually goes down well, doesn't have to be fruit btw.

Employ somme teen relatives or just some mates to help.

Get the cleaners in the day before, buy lots of flowers, put some decorations up and just enjoy the day.

morningpaper · 05/04/2006 08:36

you can do deli food etc. but one simple meal is the cheapest way of doing it - must have cost us less than 3 quid a head for food.

Hausfrau · 05/04/2006 08:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
carla · 05/04/2006 08:43

God, you're all making me feel like I can be in control of this.

It's just that at the moment, dds are at home and demanding my attention, whereas I have a feeling now it's so close I want to be doing/arranging things, and I can't.

OP posts:
Carmenere · 05/04/2006 08:50

I have to say that I second morningpaper, I personally would do large vats of food too.
Options I would look at would be:
Jambalya - easy to do veggie and meat or fish versions.
Paella
Rissotto
Lamb/chicken Tagine with couscous

Most of thoses things actually benefit from being made in advance and reheated.

For my sisters wedding I did braised lambshanks with butter beans and served it with colcannon (mashed potato with kale and onions) for 80 people. Was actually quite easy as did all of it in advance.

morningpaper · 05/04/2006 08:53

you can do it carla!

Sit down with pen and paper tonight and plan menu and the minute-by-minute itintery, e.g. one week before: clean up - day before, move sofa from lounge to bedroom, 10 am morning, put x on to cook

you can do it!

Hausfrau · 05/04/2006 08:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

morningpaper · 05/04/2006 09:10

oh yes we pinched lots of pans and plates from the church hall by smiling prettily at the vicar

Hausfrau · 05/04/2006 09:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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