Shirley's party advice part 4 - Better at party planning than Pippa Middleton

[BlatherskiteOfTheLivingDead]

New thread :) Everyone welcome.

Quick! Can I have the lonk again to the watermelon t-rex? Sorry, can't find it... guests here in 2 hours.

Here's the how to

Thank you! My friend did it in the e d!

Oooh was it the dino bash today then? How did it go? What ideas did you use?

Watermelon dino, sandwiches, eggs (although they didn't come out well so didn't serve them). Ordered decorations and tableware from Everything dinosaur, had little party bags. Also had dino jellies and biscuits. in the cake I had small 6 candles and obe with the age in the middle.

Got to much food (stupid time after lunch and before dinner) but we all had fun.

Ignore the typos, am really knackered. I think I deserve a good perve at Randall Brown relaxing evening with a glass of Prosecco.

Ahhh glad it all went so well and love it that you did the dino head.

I worked at a party today that could put me off parties for life!! Horrible kids.

DD's is going to be a breeze after that.

Horrible how?

They were very grabby and refused to listen so I was doing the crafts where they were allowed 1 of a particular thing and was repeating this ad infinitum while they took 2 or 3 each - including 1 teenage guest! - and the other girl was doing the singing where she repeated over and over that they shouldn't grab the microphone but they still did. It was chaos!

Were there no parents stepping in? God it sounds horrible. What crafts did you do though?

Nope and it says in the contract that parents are supposed to supervise too!

I daren't say what we did it case it makes them identifiable.

Bleugh. The worst sort of "I'm paying, so it's not my problem now" parents.

By contrast, DD went to a party at the weekend which was fab - people who bring tons of lego and organise all the DC doing different lego tasks - building and racing cars was one of them. DC all absorbed and happy, well organised, host mother had found lego tableware and made a lego cake. I would so recommend these people - I will google and see if I can find them.

these people. Highly recommended.

That looks good stealth i must admit though i started looking as a potential franchisee. Imagine building lego as a job. One for you blathers.

Quick question. We made the key worker gift last year (salt dough decs on profile) this year i wanted dd to be a bit more involved. Do you think rocky road is easy enough for a 4yr old to make? And if i make nigellas xmas version should i leave out the nuts do you think?

DS would so love that!! They don't come down this far though

Oh, and I think a 4 year old should be able to manage rocky road with help, Maybe not the chocolate melting bit but the adding of the marshmallows etc...

But what about nuts?

Hmm, they do tend to be the most usual allergy thing. I think I probably would leave them out

But they taste so scrummy tho! I think u may be right though.

Maybe you should take on the franchise for your area then, Blathers? It did look like quite a significant capital investment, though - a van full of lego, basically (and some very cool ramps for racing the cars).

DW - yes to rocky road, no to nuts just in case they are paranoid about the whole "nut free zone" thing.

I found this and thought you guys might like it too :)

Oooh i like that. And i think the elf may have to bring that angel decoration idea. Considering dd1 found the colourmein xmas cards that he was bringing with new pens...she found the cards and sealed them all into envelopes uncoloured, unwritten and said they were for all her friends to colour and write themselves!! I cant really argue wuth the kindness in her logic.

Hi, I was on one of the threads ages ago when I was planning a 4th birthday party for DS (glad to see you're all still going strong!) and I wonder if any of you could help me with a cake query (I could try over in baking but I know you've done some fabulous party cakes between you)?

I'm thinking of doing a hansel and gretel style house for DD's first birthday in a couple of weeks (sponge cake not gingerbread, as I'm trying to make it birthdayish, not Christmassy) and wondered if any of you have any tips or photos I can use for inspiration please? There is one in Debbie Brown's 50 easy party cakes that I will probably use but it's not 100% what I'm after. I might start making it then adapt as I go along, but if I do that I risk having to go trekking out to the shops the week before Xmas which isn't ideal.

Thanks in anticipation.

Hi ho silverrrrr.

Stealth is bound to have done a house cake. You say you've seen the easy cake one but its not right. What do you picture in your head and we'll make it happen. Or....

I wanted to buy this but cant justify it really. Could this be a good alternative?
its chocolate, its easily assembled, yum yum