Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parties/celebrations

Whether you're planning a birthday or a hen do, you'll find plenty of ideas for your celebration on our Party forum.

Flip

1 2 ··· 35 36 37 38 39 40

Original poster

I love giving parties, do you need some ideas?

999 replies

ShirleyKnot · 03/09/2011 21:56

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.

OP posts:

BlastOff · 04/12/2011 16:33

PS Note the obligatory mn pom bears in the forefront of the picture

Blatherskite · 04/12/2011 18:06

Those cakes are brilliant BlastOff, I love them.

Sounds like it all went well. DH was just asking me what we had to keep the children amused at DD's party and when I said just colouring in, Gingerbread bear decorating, pass the parcel, balloons and eating he asked if that was enough - I'm so glad it was for you as I feel a bit more confident now. I love the sound of the bubble rocket, maybe I could take our bubble machine down if the weather is nice enough?

Party was 2 weeks away as of yesterday so I really need to get going on getting things together now. Is it too early to start the sugarpaste modelling for the cake do you think?

Blatherskite · 04/12/2011 18:06

Oh and we'll be having Pom Bears too - have to at a Teddy Bears picnic after all! :)

Tinkerisdead · 04/12/2011 19:01

Blathers i modelled sugarpaste for a month!!! Just didnt eat it.
I've loved this thread its like a postnatal group with jelly and icecream!

Blatherskite · 04/12/2011 20:45

Right then, will start as soon as I can get some sugar paste. Where did you get yours from?

Tinkerisdead · 05/12/2011 07:20

Ive got a fantastic cake decorating shop near my work. It has everything. Tiny little independant but its amazing. Failing that i order online.

Tinkerisdead · 05/12/2011 07:21

Cakesandcookies i've used.

stealthsquiggle · 05/12/2011 09:27

I have used cakesandcookies and another online one which slips my mind just now - or a local sugarcraft supplier, except that the one I really liked and could park at has sadly gone out of business and the others are a bit of a hassle to get to.

For gumpaste, definitely online options or, strangely, hobbycraft have it at a good price. For icing, if you want red or black or chocolate you need a specialist - otherwise I really like the Silver Spoon stuff which Sainsburys sell (but I really don't like the Dr Oetker stuff which Waitrose and Tesco sell).

Blathers if you are "just" doing models for the top of a Costco cake (cunning plan, BTW, and definitely on my list for future mass parties) then I would go with gumpaste as it dries harder and doesn't crumble.

DrsW, are Gruffalo and friends going to be kept for ever and ever? You can get great perspex domes - I still have the sugarpaste flowers from our wedding cake in one.

Blatherskite · 05/12/2011 14:17

We've got a huge Hobbycraft near me so I'll try and have a look there this week.

Not today though. Mondays are always manic but on top of the usual, DS has a birthday party (will be scouting for ideas :) ) and I've got a "Jamie at Home" party at SIL's. OCD MIL is coming to look after DD while I take DS out and I won't even have time to vacuum!!

Tinkerisdead · 05/12/2011 14:27

Dh put the gruffalo figures with cake in tupperware and thet went soft and awful so consigned to the deep dark wood in the bin sky

stealthsquiggle · 05/12/2011 16:43

That's a shame, DrsW - although DH may have done you a favour in the long term, as there is a definite limit to how many such things you can keep "for ever and ever"

Blatherskite · 05/12/2011 18:44

OK, NOT scouting for ideas at that party! It was going OK while they were playing pass the parcel and musical statues but went horribly wrong when one little girl fell against a hot fire and burnt her arm really quite badly!

Thankfully, there are no fires at the community centre.

I felt really sorry for the Mum though, it was a complete accident. Another 15 minutes and it would have gone without a hitch!

stealthsquiggle · 05/12/2011 19:08

Ouch, Blathers - poor child, and poor host mother. DNiece once ran full pelt into a lit chimenea at my parents house (at a party) - miraculously, she was unhurt even though the chiminea smashed, but my parents took some time to get over the shock of what could have happened.

Blatherskite · 05/12/2011 19:11

It was a modern gas fire with a glass front and a steel surround and she just tipped against it as they were jumping around. It must have been hot though as her arm immediately came up in huge blisters.

BlastOff · 05/12/2011 19:39

Oh no, poor little girl - I hope she's ok. And yes, i agree, poor host mum too - I had so many worst case scenarios along those lines (mainly involving the bouncy castle) in my head before ds's party.

What a shame about the gruffulo figures TheDw, but I think stealthsquiggle has a point, and your photos are lovely. I hope you weren't too upset.

Countdown for you now Blatherskite! Is it a teddy bear picnic scene you're making for the cake? What are you planning?

Blatherskite · 06/12/2011 13:26

Help me 'cause I'm ready to cry!

A big group of the guests at DD's party will be the ladies from my antenatal group when I had DS, plus their DS-aged kids and second borns who are all around DD's age. Being as DD's birthday is 8 days before Christmas and we are unlikely to see each other afterwards, it was decided (not by me but I admit she's too little to notice this year so let it slide) that our groups Secret Santa presents would be swapped at the party. There has even been talk of coming dressed in Christmas outfits which I gently said I'd prefer not to happen. Now one of the group can't come and someone suggested maybe we needed another date for the Secret Santa. I said that might be nice as then DD'd birthday party could be just DD's birthday party again. I've been told "not to get hung up on it being DD's birthday" as it is "unfortunate to be so close to Christmas"

But - seeing as I am paying for the hall and the food and the entertainment, should I not have some right to be hung up on it being her birthday?

It's not like we're all going to the local soft play and I'm demanding everyone ignores the fact that it's a week away from Christmas!

I haven't said no-one can swap presents! I have said I'd rather no-one came dressed as Santa! AIBU?

Original poster

ShirleyKnot · 06/12/2011 14:20

Caught up.

BlastOff - it all looked amazing!

Blathers - YANBU God, people can be insensitive, what did you say? I guess you need some phrases and stuff up your sleeve for this sort of thing (might as well get used to it now I suppose ) so maybe something like "Yes, I know it's nearly christmas, but this party is a birthday party - hence the teddy bear theme you idiot"

Try not to take it too seriously, people are really just incredibly daft sometimes.

OP posts:

Blatherskite · 06/12/2011 15:50

Thanks Shirl

I said that I wanted us to get together for the Secret Santa thing but that I also wanted DD to have a proper birthday party just like everyone else gets. I did say I thought I was allowed to get hung up on it being DD's birthday too though I was just so mad that the party I've spent this much time, effort and money on was getting chipped away by bloody Christmas.

TBH present swapping at the party would be a bloody nightmare because only 9 out of the 20-odd kids are involved and most who aren't are too young to understand why X and Y are getting presents when they aren't.

I really thought this friend would 'get it' as it was only her birthday last week but I guess not.

Tinkerisdead · 06/12/2011 16:11

Waves hello. Thats awful about little girl getting burned. My mum once went to an anniversary party where the hosts had fireworks. One tipped over mid launch and burned everyones legs including a little girl and a woman who's tights were melted to her legs! Imagine the guilt must be horrendous.

Blathers you are not being unreasonable at all. You have every right to state that your daughter deserves a birthday like every other child! Even if her birthday was christmas bloody day its her birthday not a kill two birds with one stone xmas bash!!! Cheek. My birthday is 2 weeks after xmas it is always a damp squib and a spent my childhood getting iou's as my mum was skint! Good for you making sure her birthday isnt lost amongst christmas.

Blatherskite · 06/12/2011 16:26

Thanks DW. I was getting a bit worried I was making too big a deal out of it.

All the other children get dedicated parties though and I feel like I'm being overridden by this bloody secret santa thing even though I'm paying for the party.

BlastOff · 06/12/2011 19:34

Oh Blatherskite - how thoughtless of them. You are absolutely right to make this about dd's birthday, and I hope that now you've pointed this out they'll realise what they have suggested is totally unreasonable. I agree that it's not fair on the children not involved in the secret Santa, and I would point this out as well as saying as many times as needed that its hard having a birthday so close to Christmas, and this is dd's birthday party. I am especially at the outfit suggestion. Very thoughtless.

You've got enough on, but could you be the one to suggest another date and email/ text everyone with details. Just 'Christmas meet up, at x soft play seventh circle of hell please let me know if you can make it. Secret santa. Fancy dress optional'?

How is the organising going? Anything we can help with?

stealthsquiggle · 06/12/2011 23:33

Stupid, stupid people, Blathers. Of course it is about DD's birthday and nothing to do with Christmas at all whatsoever. As she gets older , that separation will be more and more important to her. If people must swap secret santa pressies it should be done subtly, for opening later - you are 100% right to make a stand for it being DD's birthday party, and nothing else.

Blatherskite · 07/12/2011 12:51

I'm glad you all don't think I'm being daft. The woman telling me not to get hung up on it being DD's birthday party has her birthday at the very beginning of December so I did worry that I was making too big a deal out of it as if anyone would understand, it would be her surely?

Anyway, time to forget her and get on with the planning!

Trip to Costco booked in with friend for next week so get cake and possibly some food although I've still got to finally decide what I'm serving! I guess with the theme, it should be picnic-y type food so - sandwiches, maybe some mini sausage rolls and sausages?, teddy bear shaped pizzas if I find the time? (my sister was going to make them but she's really struggling with being pregnant with an 18 month old at the moment so I'm not going to get her to do them anymore), Pom Bears obviously and some platters of fruit. Does that sound OK?

We'll have cake too obviously. I'm thinking I might order a football one so it's iced in green then either order some of that printed rice paper from the very beginning of the thread (if I can find it!) or paint red squares on a sheet of roll out icing to make a picnic blanket. I need to start modelling plates of food and a cake from Sugarpaste too then I can form a 2 on the top with them. I got some wafer flowers from the supermarket today which I thought might look nice dotted around the edge of the cake board.

I've got loads of balloons for decorating and playing with and the fillers for the pass the parcel (just got to get some paper and wrap) DH is doing a CD of teddy bear and birthday themed songs (suggestions appreciated!) for dancing to and I'll make the teddy bear gingerbreads the day before. I'm getting sweeties for the party bags from Costco too and will try to get some that will double as decoartions for the bears. I'm washing my 8 aprons as we speak so they'll be fresh and ready to go. I'll print out a load of colouring sheets from the internet and make sure we have loads of crayons. My Sister got me some "thready bears" from CraftPlay too which are little plastic teddies with laces to thread them onto which I thought might keep a couple of children amused. Need to get some shiney paper and stickers to make the teddy hats with.

I have lots of bunting to decorate with too and a few birthday banners. I just need to find the time to make the Sun we were talking about!

Present was bought and wrapped ages ago and while I'd like to buy her a party dress, we have so many gorgeous hardly worn hand-me-downs from my nieces, it's really not necessary

What have I forgotten?

Tinkerisdead · 07/12/2011 19:01

Ahhhh blathers im so excited for you. Tescos do mickey mouse pizzas could you get them and make them bit more bear faced? My dd thinks they are billy bear from butlins!!

Dont think you've forgotten anything, it all sounds amazing. Make sure you learn from blast off and take photos before hoards of kids clutter your decorations we want to see it all!!!

Original poster

ShirleyKnot · 07/12/2011 19:10

It sounds well in hand Blathers!

Sugar Sheets

Food sounds fine - keep it simple!

Can you believe we're nearly at 1000 posts? and I think there were some pretty cool parties on this thread.

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 ··· 35 36 37 38 39 40