Shirley's party advice thread part 2

[stealthsquiggle]

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

I am trying to work at home with both DC here. It's not a good idea. They are currently squabbling over the attempt to make a cuddly reindeer as a present for FC's reindeer - a nice idea, but the execution is going to result in bloodshed. I can't moan at my DM about them because I am going to dump them on her tomorrow in order to go to a meeting so she needs to believe they can be good.

Everyone was very impressed with the cake. Obviously, I had to shrug off all compliments as replying with "yes it is good isn't it" would have been a bit lot big headed We still have plenty left too!!

I was a bit worried that the hall looked a bit sparse, especially after 75% of the balloons popped before anyone even got there! but there was a limit to how much we could take down and put up before everyone arrived. There were only 5 little tables too so we had to set up the long picnic bench then wait till everyone was finished and move the tables to do the activities. It all went a bit hectic in the interim which I felt was the only thing that went really wrong on the day. I think it was the massive age range that did it, too many different levels to try to cater for. DS had a cake at a local farm for his 3rd so hopefully I can scale things down next year.

Next party is DS's 5th in March. He's asked for a pizza making party at Pizza Express which is fine by me. I was already wondering about making a Pizza cake though and there'll be party bags to do too....

This thread is going to be bad for my stress levels I can tell

Christmas is at MIL's although we are spending Christmas Eve here. My plan is to watch Polar Express with the children while snuggling on the sofa eating Pizza and Popcorn and then give them their Christmas eve presents (new PJs and a Christmassy book) that I've wrapped with little Polar Express style bells on the tags before bath and bed, into new jamas and snuggle up with new books before settling down with a large bottle of something with DH.

I was going to attempt to make reindeer antlers with the DCs this afternoon but they're both currently engrossed in the Disney Christmas movie so I'm on here instead

Pizza cakes are both easy and fun, Blathers

Temptress!

If we do the Pizza Party, it'll be about £10 a head plus some extra pizza for the adults so we'll be far fewer guests and won't need a massive Costco cake. Pizza Cake would just be a round sponge with some modelled toppings I thought.

The challenge would be to make it as realistic as possible.

ohhhhh polar express bells is a brill idea. I've got the film and PJ's to give DD on xmas eve, we've all got PJ's actually. DH has penguin ones from asda. never thought about the bells (off to ransack the instrument box).

I've got xmas at home but all our parents are seperated and so each set insists that we visit them over xmas. I did invite them here as I'm too tired to start doing the rounds but everyone declined and now are calling repeadedly trying to find out when we are all coming. really annoying me. Xmas eve I think there is a kids church service, then a kids party at the village pub, home to bed for christmas film. At some point Dh and I have to build a wooden play kitchen! And hide it!

I am working from home too.

Poor you DoctorsWife, parent situation sounds complicated.

Blathers your party looked AMAZING.

We may have visitors for NYE DH has invited his Sis and her partner. I like more notice to plan properly so they need to decide if they are coming or not asap.

I did a Day of the Dead Halloween theme party. Fussy eater ate crusty bread. Have also done colcannon and mash - onion gravy and pork and apple snags were... too exotic. I do feel sorry for the poor fella, his diet is so plain he must be bored.

I've started DD on the cake making obsession - she got this for her birthday

I love that cake decorating set. I've been tempted by that many a time. good one blathers. Eggrules I suggest your fussy eater is just presented with a loaf and cheese and sat in the corner!

My parent situation is horrendous and I've thrown a real hissy fit over it . I've even stooped to playing the pregnancy card. His dad we have seen twice in a year (lives 30 mins away) yet he insists we visit him. He tried to insist on me bringing DD to him on xmas day, I refused. he said he wanted to see all the kids before he went to friends in somerset, that he is driving to two other sets of grandchildren but cant stretch to us so we'll have to bring DD to him. I said no way. she doesnt leave the house on xmas day. i wouldnt mind but DD is petfrified of him as no idea who he is.

MIL insists on us all going round for present drop etc before xmas, so busy sorting that. then she announces that she'll do a big family party between xmas and new year so we have to go back for that too.

My mum i asked here for boxing day but she then swapped it to her house so that my brother could come (he is a chef near her). So it all gets swapped to hers and my bro announces today that he's working and wont be there!

My dad i tried to visit for his 60th at the end of October, his wife told me no we couldnt come because her brother was coming down and they were going out with them instead!!! Then at DD's party my dad suggested i come down for day at London zoo as I'd suggested. Errr no thanks. Not now. i told him I'll come on 2nd jan but now he's not talking to me.

oh and its my anniversary on the 27th...not that anyone seems to give a shiny shit in our families. God forbid we may want a nice day together for that. Nooooooooo.

rant over. wanna hear my hypothetical christening plans?

Sounds complicated DW. I'd be pulling the pregnancy card big time and getting them all to come to you and ignoring strops - I'm getting good at that. "Friend" of previous birthday party upset and her DH were making "funny" comments about DD's party and Christmas themes/outfits all evening when we went out the night before. Do what I did, Smile and ignore - and then come back here and bitch about it

We may be going to MIL's for Christmas but I've been tasked with bringing desserts so I've just ordered the bits for 'Spruced up Vanilla cake' a la Nigella (I have the special bunt tin and everything :) ), Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake. The Christmas cake is already made, it just needs Icing. I have also got the bits to make a Gingerbread House for us. Our house is so simple, I'm going to try to make it look like home - I'm mad right?

Still, we'll have fun trying :)

And yes please to the Christening plans. I never got the DCs done so I missed out on all that

Do you like my Christmas name?

wow xmas name. No way of festiving mine! I iced my xmas cake yesterday. complete cop out, holly and ivy leaves in white on white cake. Silver balls dotted about and silver ribbon. well easy but very fast to do.

Well in my head this christeing is my chance to showcase the family tree work i've done since DD was born. So thinking our family tree has grown, green and white/leaf theme. making a family tree with skeleton leaves on with forebears on it etc so quests can trace their own lines back.

Thinking something like this pinterest.com/pin/126311964518446713/
made into topiary trees for table.

pinterest.com/pin/133137732703664609/
for guests to complete for baby as keep sake

want to do a cake like this leaf cupcakes stack but trying to think how I could maybe put bootees on the top?
topweddingcakes.onsugar.com/tag/Wedding-Cupcake-Cakes

come on people chip in with some ideas....I know its probably bad luck to plan a christening for a baby that isnt born but seriously. i need something to get me through this pregnancy ha ha. I saw this too but think it's prob too weddingy but I like it a lot..

www.marthastewartweddings.com/227005/take-bough-wedding-program-idea?czone=inspiration/DIY/templates-and-clip-art&center=272429&gallery=228649&slide=125426

LOL at the getting DC hooked - DD is getting this for Christmas

DrsW, I will be all too glad to join in vicarious christening planning, as soon as my DC stop squabbling for more than 5 mins [sigh].

I love the thumbprint keepsake. I want one of these for my family but need a good excuse to buy it Either that or I need to make one myself, I'd quite like the tree to say 'Family' (like Family tree) rather than 'Love'.

I think if I were doing the cake, I'd put just the leaves on the cupcake and the bootees on the top, cake layer only. Could look a little too busy with them on all the cupcakes too and the beauty of it is it's simplicity.

These would make great decorations.

Alternative invitations?

See i've sucked you in to my fantasy plans now. Invites can be absolutely what we like as my dad is a graphic designer/typesetter so can do bespoke for freeeeeeee.

Love the love tree blathers. Agree family would be nice. That website is great for inspiration for 'stuff i can make myself for cheaps'.

I should add that technically its not a christening. Dd had a service of thanksgiving where we gave thanks for her and swore to provide a loving home but she still has godparents. So doesnt have to have strong religious theme.and i had my wedding dress made into a romper suit with detachable skirt so either sex can wear the 'gown'.

I love the family tree idea. You could have a beautiful drawn tree with family photos on as a centrepiece or table plan (depending on how formal you're being and how artistic you are!). Or an actual little tree, say 5ft, such as a silver birch and hang family photos from the branches. If having trees indoors is good enough for Kate and Wills...

Have you seen the gorgeous Quaker tree prints? I'll see if I can find an image; they really are stunning.

I also made footprint Christmas cards with ds1 & 2 - snowmen out of white footprints. I like the idea of penguins out of black footprints but not sure I can face the ensuing carnage again this year.

I ordered a sainsbury's shop to come this evening but I forgot about it didn't finish it last night as I had planned because ds2 laughs in the face of sleep at the moment... Last night he woke every 1 1/2 hours. Arrrgh. So I have two packets of smoked salmon, 4 lemons, philadelphia, blinis and 8 potatoes coming at 9pm instead of my Christmas shop... At least I didn't just fill it with loo roll and dishwasher tablets.

It's the Quaker tree of life. Which is so appropriate. THere are a couple of images here and here. There are lots of images and I believe they were often cross stitched as keepsakes.

I am sure you found find a really beautiful one for invitations etc if you like them.

Humph - did those links on phone whilst feeding ds2 (aka amazing non sleeping baby) - they are rubbish. Let me find some better ones.

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=quaker+tree+of+life&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1235&bih=685&tbm=isch&tbnid=DDCizjMTojM-3M:&imgrefurl=www.zazzle.com/quaker_tree_of_life_in_fall_75_guests_poster-228459725764270895&docid=VIGuGxr4JAXFZM&imgurl=rlv.zcache.com/quaker_tree_of_life_in_fall_75_guests_poster-rc3b003f2bedf4fab9bc5f00043be3125_7p88_400.jpg&w=400&h=400&ei=q53vTvehA8PPhAfFp7ifCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=112&vpy=154&dur=468&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=150&ty=101&sig=100158522839245125210&page=1&tbnh=159&tbnw=153&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here and <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=quaker+tree+of+life&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1235&bih=685&tbm=isch&tbnid=QwLEJPjfiAP2-M:&imgrefurl=www.zazzle.com/tree_of_life_quaker_wedding_certifica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here and if you google 'tree of life' and 'quaker tree of life' there are lots of lovely images.

Blastoff that sounds like a balanced and almost complete Christmas shop to me

I am liking the whole Quaker tree-of-life thing. It's a gorgeous theme for a Christening/ Naming (DS had the latter - no church service involved, just the party. I think the sticking point on organising something for DD is that we have used up all the best Godparents )

I've got the same issue with godparents stealth so im going to duplicate. Dd has three sets rather than three people. I couldnt choose from couples we're so close to, so we had couples rather than trying to choose husbands over wives etc. We had one couple from dh's friends, one couple from mine and a set of mutual ones. And one set are our childrens named guardians. Well you heard about our weird families!!!! Rather my friends had them!!

I am named guardian for one of my DGoddaughters, DrsW, and godmother to the offspring of 2 of DS's godparents.

whilst we are planning hypothetical parties, ideas on how I could spin a naming-day-equivalent for a very stroppy and opinionated 5yo would be welcome

I am named guardian for one of my DGoddaughters, DrsW, and godmother to the offspring of 2 of DS's godparents.

whilst we are planning hypothetical parties, ideas on how I could spin a naming-day-equivalent for a very stroppy and opinionated 5yo would be welcome

I am named guardian for one of my DGoddaughters, DrsW, and godmother to the offspring of 2 of DS's godparents.

whilst we are planning hypothetical parties, ideas on how I could spin a naming-day-equivalent for a very stroppy and opinionated 5yo would be welcome