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

[BlatherskiteOfTheLivingDead]

New thread :) Everyone welcome.

I think he'd enjoy it. Will definitely have a test-toboggan first though I think just in case.

No point making loads of plans for ski slope cakes and woolly hat party bag presents and then find he hates it.

They do all the food there and even do the party bags. By the sounds of it, they're full of plastic tat though so I'd be wanting to "customise" them.

I hope you guys feel better soon. Have you been back to the docs? Can they give you anything for whooping cough?

Im awake and dd1 is climbing on me. As soon as i start up coughing she wakes up and shes such a terrible sleeper she cant get back off. Drives me mad cos dh then goes to her bed and im suffocating to death with 4year old climbing on my shoulders.

If im outside of three weeks then nothing they can give me. But i'd like a proper diagnosis so i can warn all the people ive encountered over xmas. Ive tried saying i think its whooping cough and no-one takes you seriously. "Adults dont get that, you'd whoop, your immunised" blah blah blah. Mil has a pretty severe cough now too. But if i could say for sure, all these people could be getting antibiotics and stop it spreading. Im miserable with it to be honest. I read back over the thread and it was about 15th dec me telling stealth i couldnt breathe. That means i may have weeks of this yet.

Getting an official diagnosis might force your DH to be a bit more sympathetic too you would hope! It sounds awful and you need to be getting more rest.

Talking of stealth, where is she?

DD got one of these in a party bag today. She's absolutely loved making them (despite it saying 5+ on the pack) and they're an absolute bargain at 3 for £2! I think there were other things in the range too.

Yes i said wheres stealth a while back. Tweet her!

To be fair dh has let me go back to bed this afternoon. He starts work in leeds from tomorrow and most likely will be in hotel all week. He's gonna attempt to commute but i cant see it really. Dreading it as i'll have no real help. We cant move because this is the sixth place in three years if you count our folks houses. Dd1 keeps asking when we'll move again and thats just not healthy.

Today ive been coughing up what i initially thought were lung worms!!!! Little white string like things texture of skin. A reassuring google suggested they may be mucus plugs that shape to the tiny airways. Im hoping to hell if they are flying out that things are on the mend!

Those bangles look good. We have a rubbish poundland here you cant even get a pram round it its so tight.

Ha!! I saw the "Yes I said where's stealth" on the thread preview and tweeted her and then came on here and saw the rest of your first sentence. Great minds :)

I've seen her on Twitter and FB just not here. You really need to come over to the dark side DW.

Our Poundland is a fairly decent size but I still struggle with a pushchair in there. Poor party lady had to go in there because Yellow Moon totally let her down with the stuff she'd ordered

I was on FB but when dhs business went bust people tracked me down on it and it all got a bit abusive. Plus ahem ex's kept messaging me and dh was a bit and i didnt know what the protocol was to say piss off would ya. And well, you should see sil's page. If i saw her updates i'd get the rage!!

So shocked at yellow moon btw ive never ever had an issue. My poor dh is still waiting on his anniversary gift. I ordered it before xmas (ann is 27th) and its not arrived. Im sure he thinks im lying!!

So come on Twitter. I'm use this name on there and my account is locked which makes it harder for people to find me by accident.

Then I tweet you the picture of DD's dragon face paint from today :)

Hello - sorry - just reporting in and will read thread properly later

Oooh - Chinese New Year - that might be something that we could look forward to. Whose turn is it this year (I will of course have to deal with all the dragons sulking.....)?

Lemon - the only people who owe us apologies from our New Year party are the ones who didn't turn up

It's the year of the snake this year.

It's the 10th of February I think so it'll quickly be followed up by Valentine's day and Pancake day too :)

Hmm. Snake. We have a few. Nothing like Dragons, but maybe the dragons could come too and drown their sorrows?

No way to chinese new year here not with dd2's birthday.

So stealth you had a new years bash?

Dragons and snakes fairly similar I think. Especially long, thin, Chinese dragons.

I've already started choosing my menu I want to make this again with some long noodles and we'll have to have some battered prawns for DS.

Last year I only decided to do Chinese New Year about 3 days before the event and was sooo jealous of Stealth's dragon. This year I am determined to be prepared :)

Just family for extended dinner, rather than a party as such. It was fun, though.

The main issue with Chinese NY menus is narrowing it down . I think you are supposed to have a whole fish.

DW - DD2 birthday plans sound lovely. Do you need any US imports (I will be there last week of Jan) or is Blathers sending you a complete party kit?

Prawns are fish-y. I shall make multiple whole ones

Noodles should be uncut I think and food should be red or golden for luck/wealth.

That chicken is really nice anyway so I don't need more than a passing excuse to make it.

Ah thanks stealth nope blathers is sorting me out bless her. You mentioned some people didnt turn up? Family didnt turn up?

Ooh and guess what for xmas my mil got me your cake pop maker machine and my mum got me a cake pop tin. But i swapped that for the lakeland chocolate cottage mould. Whoopppeeee.

Go on blathers cook a salmon in the dishwasher and test the theory.

DH's family backed out at very short notice. They had reasons, but still....

LOL at dishwasher salmon. That would require the dishwasher to be empty for more than 5 minutes.

Have you played with the cottage mould yet? I just ordered a 3D Christmas tree mould in the Cox&Cox sale.

I made a 3D tree cake over Christmas too. I have the Fir tree tin from Nigella's Christmas book.

I got this one (well, ordered it - it hasn't arrived yet). I thought if I put sparkly/coloured bits in then it could work for topping next year's mini Christmas cakes.

Blimey! That's a price drop.

I'm tempted but currently resisting

I think the fact that there are (or were) quite a few things at 75% off says more about their original prices (and profit margins) than anything else. I bought a few things - need them to arrive in time to go away with the rest of Christmas, which needs to be packed up today [sniff] having been taken down yesterday.