Shirley's party advice thread part 2

[stealthsquiggle]

...can I take the liberty of starting another thread, since the other one filled up?

Not that we found. We had "The Bear Necessities", "I wanna be like you", "Teddy Bears Picnic" "Teddy Bear" and a load of songs from my the DCs Winnie the Pooh CD then we topped it up with pop songs.

I'd expected to be able to find loads but it was really tough to find many Bear songs

That post made sense before DH switched the broadband off and a load of other posts appeared in the meantime!

DD got tonnes of Bear related books for her birthday. I can suggest some good ones if you need ideas?

blathers glad you got the princess costume sorted.

I cant function in party mode at the moment.

My mum has called with the suggestion that the week on my elcs she comes to stay at a local B&B (we do have a spare bed??!) and that way she can look after DD whilst i'm in hospital so that DH doesnt have to take paternity leave????

I said well thats nice but DH actually wants to spend some time with his new baby!! He has planned to drop dd at playschool come to hospital for that time, pick DD up feed her etc then bring her each day to see me.

and Dh just got offered a fantastic job which would start after his two weeks paternity leave too so that suits us brilliantly. a massive stroke of luck having lost his business and our house in 2010, this should put us back on an even keel. whooopppp.

HOORAY for new job.

And I agree entirely about being at your DM - quite apart from wanting to spend time with you and LO, it will be DH & DD's special "DD and Daddy" time, which would not IMO/E, be improved by the addition of a Granny.

not this granny anyway

I've decided at the last minute that we need to do Chinese New Year after all so we've been out today and bought some food. Will try to organise some decorations tomorrow if I have time but Mondays are always really busy here so it'll be close.

I've just realised that we're too late anyway! Chinese New Years Eve (the day with the big feast) is today. Ah well, maybe we'll have our feast on Tuesday then. If it's going to be late, I might as well do it on a day that's less stressful

pmsl at you blathers, we're having a last minute party...ahh shite no we're not we missed it! Isnt stealth doing hers tonight? Im sure she said its new year on the monday but doing the bash on the sunday. She'll be alond soon enough to tell us about her masssive dragon kite...i hope you have a dragon kite blathers!!!!

No dragon kite

Stealth is doing it right, tomorrow is New Years Day but the big feast is supposed to be done on New Years Eve. I was all set to do it on New Years Day but then did a bit of research and realised we should be doing it tonight - and as we've been out to a birthday party today and are all stuffed, there's no way I was starting a huge Chinese feast too!!

Ah well, the party was at McDonalds so I guess we've done a big feast with friends including lots of red so were most of the way there My homemade version will be just as tasty another night.

Going to try to book DS's birthday party tomorrow I think. He's still set on a pizza making party so I just need to decide how many kids I can cope with and pick a date. Cake is going to be easy but what on earth am I going to put in the party bags?

www.aquarterof.co.uk/jelly-pizza-slices-p-1543.html

These? And errrrrr.....

How old is ds gonna be? Its in march yes? How old are the kids gonna be? Shirley and stealth have done pizza parties havent they, didnt stealth do individual aprons?

DS and friends will be 5. Yes it is March :)

I'd though Jelly pizzas too but then got stuck. I have found these little sticker books on Amazon too. I'm hoping to keep it fairly cheap as we're taking him to LEGOland too.

A quick google suggests making invites little little pizza boxes, games like delivering pizza obstacle race using little tikes cozy coupe car. Suggests decorating aprons with fabric markers whilst pizzas cook, maybe buy those french fries style oven chips. Did you keep the red check tablecloths from dd's party? If you used that hall again you could do it on the cheap if they have a kitchen to cook pizza?

Sweet, sticker book, apron and piece of cake is plenty!!!

He wants to go to Pizza Express for the party so I'm off the hook this year - just got to fork out £10 per child for the privilege!

The one we went to didn't really leave much time for a party game as the pizzas were cooking within about 5 minutes and as the kids had just finished making pizzas, they were quite happy to sit with a drink while they waited. Then after eating it was time to go home. Birthday girls Dad had bought all of the children zsu zsu pets (sp?) or transformers which kept them amused while the parents chatted and got coats on. I won't be going to that expense so I could try a game but it'd have to be quite a quick one.

I love the idea of the mini pizza box invites although I did see some really nice ones on ebay too that can be personalised too.

Not sure I have the time or skill to make the aprons and they're not cheap to buy - unless you get them from Craftplay obviously but I'm not sure the gardening theme will cut it this time

They do give them aprons too, admittedly the tear off plastic kind but it does mean that providing them is not strictly necessary

Aprons are not really that hard, or you can get ready-to-decorate ones from baker ross/yellow moon (I have done both - got baker moon ones and added dragons for DS's dragon-themed craft party, and made them for DD's cooking party). I will have a think about themed party bags/games.

Dragon dinner went well - ~38 dragons in attendance (and 6 people) - we managed dim sum, then crispy duck pancakes, then whole fish (salmon) & rice/noodles. We were going to do banana fritters, but that has been postponed as DS was falling asleep at the table. I did take some photos of dragons but still can't find my flipping card reader.

Blathers - I think you are find celebrating any time up to and including next weekend - most of the chinese restaurants I have seen seem to be doing their parties next weekend.

fine, not find!

actually, I think with fab sticker books and sweets you have party bags covered!

Glad your party went well Stealth :) From what I read earlier, I think the celebrations go on for 15 days although the big feats was supposed to be tonight. I'm sure it won't matter if we have ours late though. The plan is to do spring rolls and tempura prawns (DS loves prawns) then "Festive 5 spice Chicken" and shiitake noodles and follow it all up with griddled bananas with ice cream, butterscotch sauce and sesame seeds. I've even got some prawn crackers and fortune cookies. It's going to be another bad day for the diet that's for sure!

I'll have a look at Baker Ross and Yellow Moon for aprons tomorrow. I could personalise them with fabrics pens. Either that or I bulk out the jelly pizza and sticker book with some generic sweets. No point tying myself in knots over a theme when all they really want is sugar I guess.

baker ross aprons - not worth making them at that price - they must have been more expensive when I decided to buy fabric instead for DD's party.

Dragon kite here - and the after party here

Lol at the after party.

That was only one bit of it - with 38 dragons present, there were a few fights breaking out, and lots of baby dragons having piggy backs on largest, most patient dragon - and the welsh dragons had formed a choir. I may have got a little carried away on my way to bed last night, but the DC appreciated it this morning

Dd came home from playschool and told me it was new year. I asked if she saw any dragons, cue wide eyed amazement that i knew. Mummies know everything!! She made baby dragons with glitter apparently.

Come on blathers, what have you done tonight?