27
Oct
2011
Kids Halloween Party Inspiration
I didn’t throw a party for my son’s first or second birthday. I don’t mean I didn’t do much. We literally just let it slip by. No balloons, no banners, no cake and not even presents. I didn’t feel too bad about the no presents thing for the first birthday but I feel slightly evil about the second birthday. We were travelling and rather than haul gifts around we decided he would be none the wiser if we gave him his gifts when we arrived home. It’s true he didn’t note the passing of his birthday on the calendar, but I was quite disappointed. It’s not as much fun giving presents on a random day when you haven’t whipped your child up in to a frenzy of excitement and confusion (wtf is going on? Why they all grinning at me like madmen? Oh PRESENTS!).
All this is my way of pointing out that you won’t be getting anything nearly as lovely as Kate’s mouse party from my party styling any time in the near future. However I have put quite a lot of time in to looking for other people’s Halloween Party inspiration this week, hoping to bring you someone else’s beautiful party. Although I haven’t managed to put together a full party collection, here are some of my favourite Halloween party accessories – should you be thinking of pulling all this together before Monday.
17
Oct
2010
HERDING CATS. OR HOW TO THROW A KID’S PARTY – PART 3. THE GAMES.
probably not for a 2 year old's party.
OK, this will be my last one on parties I promise. Anyway, I’ve done the planning of the party and the all-important party cake, but I think it is necessary to cover the final essential bits of the party – namely the games. Oh, and I forgot the food – ok, maybe this is the second last.
Firstly, can I highly recommend you find a really dodgy game that involves something slightly humiliating for the compere to do? Say running around a garden holding up signs whilst wearing a train driver’s uniform trying to corral a large number of three year olds in a straight line behind them? And ensure that any husband who might not have been of huge assistance with arranging party becomes the aforementioned compere? Just a suggestion.
In other tips:
1. If they’re under 3, don’t bother, just load ‘em up on cake and watch them run round the garden hopped up on chocolate and juice.
31
Aug
2010
Herding cats. Or how to throw a kid’s party – part 2
So – part one was about the basics – planning the party. But every kid knows that planning the party is secondary. The venue can be ace, the games fun, the fire thrower awesome, but if you don’t get the main event right then all else may as well be thrown out with the pass the parcel.
Yes, I am of course referring to The Cake. Big, small, cupcake, multi-layered behemoth, store-bought, ice-cream, homemade – The Cake is the big kahuna of the party day. You have to have one.
If you’re Australian it is likely that you spent some time in your childhood pouring over the Cake Bible – second only to choosing your showbags from the newspaper lift-out (if you’re not from Australia, you just had to be there I’m sorry, but believe me, the day that lift-out came out was the BEST DAY OF THE YEAR) was the choosing of the cake from the Australian Women’s Weekly Kid’s Birthday Cakes Book. And if you don’t believe me, then see someone far more amusing than me…
Anyway – here are other top tips about cake preparation:
17
Aug
2010
Herding cats. Or how to throw a kid’s party – part 1
Not appropriate for a three year old. And frankly, a little bit disturbing at any age?
I have been planning my son’s 3rd birthday party basically since his 2nd birthday. I know – what a nerd. But that won’t be news to anyone who knows me – I do love a drink good shindig. And as I have the most amazing memories of parties thrown by my mum, I guess I’m just trying to make sure my children have the same sort of memories. Of course, emulating my mother’s parties is a slippery slope. It’s only a hop step and a jump from similar parties to bridge games four times a week and antique shopping. Before we know it I’ll be posting about ten ways to improve your family tree (sorry Mum – I really am dying to see the results of the three thousand years of research you’ve done.)
Where was I? Oh yes – parties. Seriously, how can you not like kid’s parties? The mess, the screams, the tears – there’s something for everyone. Personally, I’m in it for the cake and the champagne. And the fairy bread – which I have discovered today is an Australian thing. Who knew? And if you are unaware of the JOYS of fairy bread – see here. In the meantime, here are my top tips:
11
Mar
2010
Loss of drinking shoes
This is me the morning after. Although I had hair. And leftover mascara. This guy looks good compared to me.
Despite recent cries about the fact that I am not getting old, I appear to stand somewhat corrected as confirmed to me recently by my inability to handle a 3am finish.
On the one hand, massive backslaps to me for making it to 3am. A 3am which, I might add, included several shots with the requisite sexual innuendo laden moniker – something slippery or hairy, I believe. I also talked a lot of nonsense, pretended I didn’t have two children, danced in a non-dance floor environment, put the world to rights with the girls, watched a half naked girl gyrate with a slightly sinister looking Russian gentleman and spent some time discussing whether the length of her skirt made her a working girl, or just look like a working girl; either way, it was entertaining to watch. 3 am I tell you, ooohh regardez-moi.
