I love giving parties, do you need some ideas?

[ShirleyKnot]

Hello!

If you don't know me I'm Shirley and I'm a great lover of planning parties. I do a blog about it (which I'm not going to link here, but if you look on the bloggers network for PartySpanner you'll find me)

ANYWAY

If you're chucking a do, I might be able to help - I'm not a business, I don't charge for my ideas or owt, I just love to trawl the internet find good invite ideas, games and food.

Jump in and I'll see if I can help.

how about thisone, greedygirl?

I found football cake quite tricky, actually - if you are going to make the football then the shapes need to be exactly right or it doesn't work. Fortunately for me, DS doesn't much like football, so after one (a thankyou to a teacher who spent his own time teaching DS's year football after school) I have not had to do another.

OMG did you do that? It is fantastic but a little beyond me I think! So, Waitrose cake , and I am thinking some sandwiches cut out to look like football tops, melon balls...can't think what else...maybe I won't bother carrying the football theme through to the food. Is that a totally ridiculous thing to say on this thread?

Actually just found this and this so if I suddenly get the urge to bake a football shaped/themed cake I have options. But really life is too short, I am not very good at baking. Also found these cute sandwich cutters that I am seriously considering buying. I am amazed that all these things exist but of course they do really, it is not like I am the first mum to have a DS who wants a football party!

Oh no, that wasn't one of mine, greedygirl - my attempt at a football cake is on my photostream somewhere, but definitely wasn't up to that standard, or even close, and wouldn't be one I would boast of - that one is a professional one. I keep meaning to attempt one of those wonky cakes, but they require a higher degree of precision than I am generally capable of especially under pressure.

In all honesty, I think football is one theme where a bought cake is going to work best - time invested in poncing up the rest of the food (if you choose to) would be far better spent. You could always buy a cake and then ice your DS's name onto it? I think shaped sandwiches and melon balls, etc would be fab and would make the party that bit "different" and therefore more memorable for your DS.

I know I go on and on about them but Costco do a football pitch cake and will write a message or name on it for you. You could then but the little footballer decorations on to jazz it up a little.

Football shirt sandwiches and melon balls sounds like fun. You could make cupcakes like this maybe or this ?

Erm, do footballers still have segments of orange? We're a bit of a football free household here so I'm not very good on this theme.

I did work at a football ground for a while though, you could always do the traditional pie and peas, or burgers and hotdogs which would probably go down better? All with a cup of hot bovril

I cant offer any advice on a football theme I'm afraid, that is beyond me. jesus it just occured to me that I may have a boy next and may have to do this football malarky. errrrmmmm ........ football...........nope. I'm out.

DoctorsWife - it's OK - I have a boy and football would be way down his list of themes - so all is not lost (my DM is vastly amused at how much I know about rugby all of a sudden, though )

Eldest is a boy. Can't see us having a football party any time soon either. F1 party could be even tougher though

Thanks for the food/cake ideas. Might do pie and peas for the parents if the facilities allow.

I know - DS is such a cliche! He has requested a football themed bedroom as well but I am holding off with that - I had a dinosaur bedroom all planned out in my head. Selfish DS with his own ideas!

F1 party i could do as i have access to donington race track and although they didnt get f1 contract they still do plenty of races of various types. So i could do a good twist on that. Rugby or football forget it.

If this is a boy i'll enroll him in ballet and horse riding to sway his choices from a young age lol.

What is the general consenus of opinion on food for small ones.

Halloween party for 10 4 year old boys. Wad going to do lunch boxes to stop the hassle of buffet style platters, but then wondered whether I would struggle to please everyone withe sandwich fillings, and would it be easier to do spooky sausages and curly witch finger fries or similar?

Sorry, DoctorsWife - my DS did ballet, still does riding - and his life is currently dominated by rugby . Still, he has deprived me of a party this year by opting for a whole day's falconry instead (hawk-obsessed boy ) leaving me only with the challenge of coming up with an appropriate cake - a problem which is firmly shelved until after DD's party.

I don't know what you are worried about, though - access to Donnington will make you the coolest mother ever - they do truck racing and everything

geordieminx - with 20 I might say lunchboxes, but for 10 - shared plates of spooky food would be much better.

Are you going to do jelly full of worms too?

Spooky hot food? Curly fries, fish finger or sausages? Maybe some cucumber and such like too. Thought about spaghetti but am hoping they are all going to sit on the floor so it might get a bit messy.

Spooky hot food? How about Witches fingers and blood? chipolata sausages and ketchup Slime? mushy peas Curly fries could be Zombie toenails maybe?

Aye, think that might be the way to go, although may forgo peas so that it can be more or less finger food.

Ahhh stealth its DD's godparents who have the access to Donington so I get it by proxy. I fear that DD and the new DC will realise just how cool their Godparents are. Indeed they are the named guardians in our wills. They are truly the nicest people ever too and I have no doubts that one say DD will ask when I'm gonna pop my clogs so she can go and live with them

Hot food is def the way to go for halloween party. Geordie you really need Shirley to pop her head back in as she does some amazing hot feasts for parties and I know that her halloween bashes are legendary.

Is new DC going to have the same godparents? DS has some very cool pseudo-godparents (we had a naming party, not a christening) but to my eternal shame we never got around to doing anything for DD and she has no godparents at all - and all the best ones are taken .

I am sure I have lots of books with cool ideas for halloween food, but I am at party-48hrs and approaching flat panic (with a load of "real" work to get done today as well) so I will look next week.

Just had a PM from Dr'sWife asking me to poke my head round the door.

Sorry all for my absense (again) but we've had some terrible news in the Knot household recently (on top of horrible news a few months ago) and I've not been in the partiest of moods so have left you all to get on with things.

Anyway. Just wanted to say about Halloween food for Geordie. I would honestly forego hot food for four year olds! Much much easier to do buffet/lunchbox food. I usually spook things up by giving ordinary party food nasty labels. Make up your labels on a PC and then stick onto cocktail sticks. Suggestions:

Crisps = scabs
Pizza = roadkill
Cocktail Sausages = ogre's toes

etc, etc.

Saw a BRILLIANT thing on the intermaweb the other day about making up "magic juice". In paper cups drop one/two drops of food colouring (use a few different colours) and allow to dry. Then as you pour lemonaid into the cups it will magically change colour. (Not so sure how you feel about food colourings/fizzy drinks for four year olds, but thought I'd put it out there!)

Love these food boxes Obviously, if you're going to give each child a box of food you can't do the "spooky name" thing and so I would stick to one or two different sandwich filling. One cheese, one ham for example; and then add in a spooky cupcake or something alongside the rest.

Hope you're OK, Shirley.

Hope you are ok shirley.

Yy you are probably right, they will probably eat next to nothing in favour of running round like loons.

Will save the magic juice for 10 minutes before home time

Thanks for the ideas

Sorry about your news shirley. Those boxes look great.

Ive started getting rsvps on dd's party and my step mum is insisting on bringing her three dogs. Ive got 44 people crammed in my tiny house and she wants to bring three dogs. I know one mum would go mad at strange dogs round her littl'n. I cant shut them up anywhere as the whole house will be in use and the garden is open on both sides to the point that next doors chickens wander in. I have to say no and its gonna cause a major fall out as last year step mum refused to get out of car without them.

Shirley. Hope you're OK. We're here if you need a chat. DM or tweet me...

Thanks all. I'm OK! Just not much in the mood for party planning ATM. Will be back soon, I'm sure.

Anyway, everyone is doing such a brilliant job without me I feel UNWANTED!

You are very much wanted