Shirley's party advice part 6 - don't be afraid to interrupt us!

[Tinkerisdead]

Okay, this is shirley's party advice part 6. Shirley ducked out a while ago and you'll notice us chatting about all kinds of stuff whilst we wait for party planners to barge in.

So, don't lurk, jump in and chat. We'll give you any advice on parties from costumes to cakes....

Blathers - keep meaning to ask - was The Night Circus one of your DSis' brilliant book recommendations? I read it on holiday and it's lovely.

One pack of blue jelly but i ordered mine in amazon when the oz one sold out and we all went into panic hence i ordered emergency jelly. Anyway, one pack but its in cups! It says it makes 4.5cups.

Oh and im moving....AGAIN.

Is moving good news? I know it is hassle, but is new house worth it?

Hopefully stealth, basically landlord messaged a few weeks back saying he wants to sell and could we buy it. With dd about to start school it was a really precarious situation because to move before then she'd have lost her place and its oversubscribed. So we said we couldnt look into it until then. Shes at school and suddenly the perfect house is up for rent, its downsizing but a bungalow so tons of advantages in that we can lose the playroom cos they can play in their rooms etc. its cheaper because its smaller and so we can start saving for buying our own again.

Its got a 150ft flat garden that they can have free rein in and horses that stick their heads over the fence into our garden. Im hoping that this is the last one now. The stability and finance that allows us to save up and with dd turning 2 in feb im gonna retrain as a teaching assistant for sure.

Plus its only marginally over the catchment line so with sibling rule and out of catchment measured as the crow flies, i stand every chance of getting dd2 into this school.

Its all a bit too good to be true.

Sounds great - especially the garden.

Shame about the lack of summer birthdays - outdoor parties are out...

New house sounds amazing DW! Very jealous of that garden.

Not sure how much jelly I'll need. There's maybe 6 kids plus my yet to grow up siblings so maybe 10/12 cups. 1 pack might not go far enough.... I might use this as a great excuse to order some South Africa green Creme Soda so I can see what my friend is raving about. Apparently, it tastes nothing like UK Creme Soda.

DSis recommends so many books I can't keep up stealth! The Night Circus sounds familiar though. I might stick it on my Kindle if it's good.

I know im gutted about the outdoor parties cos i coulda had a bouncy castle and ponies trotting up and down the lawn. There is one major factor in that there is a pond that no word of a lie is as big as my current lounge, the pump alone is as big as my corner tv cabinet but its drained and can be fenced off easily.

But i must admit i toyed with getting married again just to put swans on the pond and a marquee on the lawn!

Just feeling a bit overwhelmed and hoped this was the place to go.

DD's 5th Bday party is on Saturday. we are just back from hols last night and working all week, plus she starts school on Thursday. This is already enough to give me the shakes.

DH decided our garden would be fine for a party (as opposed to having it elsewhere) and DD has invited about a dozen friends. Having done this before (notwothstanding apparently a few parents may drop and run - unlikely I reckon) I know that there will be a good few younger siblings who always rock up, plus at least two families where Both parents come (?!). Am afraid this does hack me off a bit, it's the child who is invited!

Anyway, I am planning to buy stuff for sarnies etc on Friday night to keep them fresh, a few frozen things online in my shopping today. The cake - argh- I have bought themed candle toppers but fear I won't have time to make one - does anywhere do good blank cakes?!

Now the extra stress. DD's actual birthday is on Sunday. We avoided Sunday for the party as a couple of her chums couldn't come then. Se has now been invited to another 5th party on her actual birthday, what to do about that?

Sorry for gushing, am overwhelmed. DH is someone who tells me to chill out, does nothing, then will clean up on the day itself. No help with prep at all.

Jules - not ignoring you, just thinking (and trying to rescue house and garden in one day)

Jules - I think M&S do nice plain cakes - not sure about others (except that I know I find Asda pre-made cakes revoltingly sweet). If you have access to Costco they do good plain cakes as well.

Could you do "click and collect" for the fresh food - take some of the stress out?

Sunday party - hmmm - depends how well you know the host parent and what else you have planned, I suppose. If my DC have a party not on their actual birthday, then the actual birthday tends to get filled with family stuff. My other worry would be that my DD would, under those circumstances, have had a good go at hijacking the Sunday party by announcing loudly to everyone that it was her birthday today - so I would have probably declined the invitation for Sunday, but OTOH if she is in Reception then it is vital getting-to-know-people time and I wanted my DC to go to any parties they got invited to at that stage.

Sorry. Not helpful, really

Tesco do good plain cakes. Costco are bigger, cheaper and nicer imo but obviously you need one close by and know someone with a card.

Any tips for a pirate treasure map cake? Anyone done one before?

All hail to the experts....I need your help.
I have 4no. 7/8 year olds for an 8th birthday sleepover at end of month. I'm bringing them home from school on a friday (hoping they will be tired). So far I have thought about taking them bowling, then home for a dvd...I have matching pj's for them...what else do I do and any ideas for which Dvd? They are all string willed so If left to their own devices too much there can be arguing about what they want to play. What have I done?!

Make that strong willed!

I am sure someone did but I can't remember who.

I would make the map itself way in advance, out of gumpaste so that you can get it really thin, let it dry for several days, and then paint it kind sponge dilute colour over to "age" it. Then, with a nice solid dry map, you could decorate the rest of the cake with buttercream or fondant and drop the map on last.

(last post was to Jetstar!)

mrsseed I think you are going to have to be the bad guy and lay down the rules and consequences (e.g. Here's all the fun stuff we can do, or, if you argue, you can all go to bed separately and no film /whatever else)

Do you have a games console of any sort? If so you could organise a tournament after bowling and before film /"midnight" feast. Are you going to put them to bed or let them camp out downstairs? If the latter then I would pile in as many duvets and pillows as you have and then let them watch a film in pyjamas with bowls (or cinema boxes if you can get them) of popcorn.

Film choice - what is your DC into?

Despicable Me 2, Monsters U or Rise of the Guardians all approved by my 10 and 6yo DC - which may or may not mean they would be ok for 8yos!

(except 2 of those won't be out in time. Oops )

My, you're quick!
They are all piling into lounge, so cushions,duvets etc.
Dd just come off disney and barbie films to high school musical and beach movie, but think they have all watched them a few times...mind you one more time wont hurt! I'll check out your suggedtions too. Hadn't thought about the console. We have a wii with two handsets, might be able to borrow 2 more.
I'll try to find

Opps too soon
I'll try to find popcorn cups.
With the console that should fill up time. I was going to give them an early tea before bowling to stop hunger moans and cake after.
Do I need to do something in morning do think or just let them veg and kick them out (sorry encourage their parents to collect) as early as poss!

I'm going to go for breakfast and leave! Thank you for your help.

If you can't borrow extra handsets (although I know DD and her friends would be in 7th heaven playing dance games all together), then you could organise a round robin tournament with the two handsets - get an easel or something to keep score?

I am not looking forward to DD demanding mass sleepovers - she and her friends are similarly "strong willed" and I find them hard enough work one at a time on (rare) playdates..

I would do Californian muffins/fruit/smoothies for breakfast and then shove them out of the door bid them a fond farewell IIWY.

How about Camp Rock? I know nothing of these things, obv, but it would appear to be a similar genre to HSM.

The next charming phase of girls' sleepovers, judging by DS's friends, seems to be wanting to watch wholly unsuitable horror/scary films