Shirley's Party Advice Part 7 - how did they all get so big...

[stealthsquiggle]

Part 7 - link to previous one to follow!

We don't but it may have to go on a wishlist :)

I'm not sure pre school is doing WBD but if they do, I know where to come

I was just discussing my new favourite stationary based toy on Twitter and thought you lot might be interested. I got it from Hobbycraft. It's a little roller with a blade in that makes a perforated line in the paper - perfect for tear off RSVP slips on home made invitations!

ooh do I need to put one of those on my US shopping list?

On a separate note, why can't I see you on my Twitter timeline ?

Twitter seems to occasionally delete people on your behalf. Might be worth checking I'm still there.

It said I still follow you, but I have unfollowed and re-followed to see if that makes any difference.

Teacher has approved "design". Now I need to measure DD tonight

I have approved your follow request

I've been to Tesco this morning and got a Pine tree air fresherner, red toothbrush (18p for two!?!) and a purple comb for Scaredy's Friendship kit. We have a little mirror and a wooden lemon and I've ordered a chew toy so once the printer is sorted I can make the badge and the checklist and we're done.

The onesie and tail have both been dispatched so I just need to put them together when they get here.

2 and a half weeks to go until dress up day and I'm almost organised

Has DH acknowledged that he is now the bottleneck on this uber-efficient process?

Never! He must be allowed time to fully research the options before any purchase is made!

He takes after his Dad.

His Dad once spent so long researching which bike to buy that the model he eventually chose had been discontinued by the time he went to buy it

Time to bring out the big guns - you need DS to do the big eyes and the "but Daddy my scaredy squirrel costume will be rubbish and everyone will laugh at me if Mummy doesn't have a printer"

I like it! :)

DH has a heart of stone unless he feels prepared to do something though.

I can probably hand draw a name badge if it comes to it. I'll laminate it and put a pin on the back

I'm back again on the iPad now. Ditching the phone for mumsnetting proxy thing.

We've got book day dress up at school today. Dd1 graced me with the easiest request in the world of "Sophie from the BFG" off she's gone in a nightie, glasses clutching a vuvuzela as the BFG dream blowing trumpet thing and a little brown case.

Easier than a squirrel! And we love the dolls house fairy book so I really want to see the thistle costume!

I've made and frozen the cake ready to ice for my mums birthday, going to do dd2's at the weekend and freeze it too. Almost sorted for the messy play party other than things like shaving foam, spaghetti etc for sensory play. I did invitations as crayola crayon boxes with crayons inside. You would have been proud of me stealth.

Now her cake I want to do a cartoon style "slice of cake" cake that looks like it's made from playdoh. The iPad just changed that to playboy!

Blathers - cutters came thank you xx

I am sure I have a photo of the dolls house fairy somewhere - I will dig it out. DD's "rags" are done, just need to be dyed. I am really really pleased with them, especially the skirt which I made from scratch (from ancient worn out sheet). The only slight problem is that it looks a bit more designer Boho chic than genuine shipwreck - it's actually a very nice skirt .

Thistle

better photo of costume, but DD being stroppy

Well I want pics of that too then

What? of the "rags"?

Wait until they are dyed

That is a perfect Thistle outfit stealth

Desperate for the onesie to arrive now so that I can get on with the squirrel

Bother. I replied and it crashed.

If you were doing Thistle in the summer, you could use facepaint for her tattoos, but given that it was February I decided that painted tights and T shirt were a better option.

I am looking forward to seeing the squirrel too (I want those books but have been spending too much on books lately).

Dye hasn't arrived yet [sulk]

Books are always a good buy :) We have the original Scaredy Squirrel and Scaredy Squirrel makes a friend and I'm definitely sticking some of the others on his Birthday list.

Oh, and we have a printer now too :)

DH texted me while I was out running with a reservation number and I turned up at Currys to pick it up. I had no idea which one he'd chosen until I got to the checkout!

It's very sophisticated. I can print wirelessly from my phone!

I want a printer that does that - TBH, that one that was on special offer is probably one of the last generation that doesn't - hence the stock clearance. I have only just persuaded DH's printer (the only one in the house - mine is in my office and it's cold out there) to talk to me at all nothing to do with having the wrong driver installed, of course.

We now have a Canon Pixma MG6350 - in white!

I thought that the fact that our last one was wireless was impressive so I'm easily sold. Means I can finally print from my Netbook too. I used to be able to but it was so complicated and so unreliable, we gave up.

Blathers i had a canon pixma and it used to overprint magenta so all my pictures were overly pink. If you can try to calibrate your netbook for printing.

OK - random middle of the night thought about science parties (I started window/ ebay shopping to decide what to get in the US and what was just as cheap to source here). I need some perspective.

There are lots of ideas which involve food/drink served in test tubes, flasks, petri dishes, etc. They look really cool, but - is it just because I was raised by a paranoid chemistry teacher that the thought of DC eating from lab equipment makes me uncomfortable?

Incidentally, Blathers, if you were to do a science party how many DC would you have? Cos lots of things seem to be as cheap for 50 as they would be for 30....

..any genius ideas on party bags (the bags themselves, rather than the contents) would be welcome too.

Hi ladies

My DS's jungle themed 5th birthday party is on this Saturday. I am almost sorted but have a few last minute questions that I am hoping you can help me with.

1. Is it worth trying to get them all to wash their hands before the party tea? There are 25 mostly 4 year olds.
2. I would quite like to put place names on the table. Am I asking for trouble or would they quite like finding their own name?
3. Last year I gave them all water to drink. Should I splash out with a choice of lemonade or water? That's it for now. I might be back!

Barefoot, I would only bother with /enforce hand washing (and I have done before now) if they have been doing something messy.

Place cards - I don't know. It could go either way. They would like finding their names, but you might get a bit of "waaah. I wanted to sit next to X"

Drinks - (weak) squash and water seem to still be the default choices, even at 7th birthdays, round here. Not sure many DC (or parents) would opt for lemonade TBH.