Stress free kids' parties

I loved this article by Natalie Trice and had to share it with you.

When I read Martha Stewart describing birthday parties being like road trips: getting there is half the fun. I laughed as I learned this the hard way when I planned a surprise circus party for my son. There were going to be clowns and acrobats flying through a big top whilst guests ate candy floss and had their faces painted. On paper it was perfect but when I told the birthday boy he burst into tears and whispered he didn’t want a circus party.  The thing is, whilst social media bragging and peer pressure have upped the party stakes, if we go back to basics, all that matters is the birthday boy or girl has fun and feels special.  Whether you rub your hands in delight at the thought of planning a party or reach for the wine bottle in despair, you can successfully keep a bunch of over-excited revelers, high on sugar, happy and entertained for two hours, you just need a PLAN.

ALL ABOUT THE THEME: Go with a theme your child likes, trust me on this. If they’re mad about Minecraft, how about a junk making party? Rock ‘n’ roll parties with instruments and a stage are great for budding musicians, a cupcake decorating party is cute and a treasure hunt for pirates will keep children entertained for ages.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Whilst parties at home keep costs down, going for a Church hall, leisure centre, pizza restaurant or bowling alley often means leaving the washing up and mess for someone else; BOOK IT!

GUEST LIST: Whist it might be ‘PC’ to ask the entire class, extended family and Brownie pack, things will spiral out of control. Most children won’t think about putting noses out of joints they just want the people they like at their party – end of.

KEEP THEM BUSY: You can guarantee one irritating delightful guest will say your party was ‘rubbish’. Book an entertainer, have a disco, organise a karaoke competition and have a plan B, that way they will be busy from start to finish and too tired to complain when they are collected.

FAB FOOD: Be imaginative with food; ‘flying saucers’ (mini-bagels) and ‘moon rocks’ (rice crispy cakes) are loved by astronauts and telescope wraps are perfect for pirates. It you stick with pizzas and sandwiches make them star and heart-shaped and put out big bowls of snacks and fruit too, but no nuts.

INVITE EXTRA HELP: Some parents read party as ‘kid free shopping time’. However, be smart, ask some of them along, give them snacks and fizz and you’ll have a team of waitresses, peace keepers, toilet monitors and DJs for free.

A PIECE OF CAKE: Whether you make it or buy it, cake is key. Once the candles have been blown out don’t just slice it up and squish it into party bags, serve it as dessert. If it is too good to share, pop fairy cakes into the party bags and keep it for later.

PARTY BAGS: Speaking of party bags, not giving them out is pretty much social suicide. Funky, bright cellophane bags can be filled with pots of Play Doh, toy dinosaurs, hair clips or mini books and tied with a ribbon attached to a glitter filled balloon. If you want to do something a bit different, a cool alternative is a lucky dip, where each child picks a present and cupcake as they leave, simple but effective.

Finally, charge up your camera, relax and try to enjoy the party and smiles because these days don’t last forever.

P.S. If you hire a female entertainer who dresses up as Spiderman at tea time be prepared for the kids to talk, and the Dads to look!

Natalie Trice is a freelance journalist, writer and award-nominated blogger, she knows a thing or two about PR and social media too. She’s also a Mummy to two small boys, wife to Oliver and an owner of a cat and a dog. When she isn't writing or networking on Facebook, Natalie is an avid shopper, coffee drinker and collector of handbags and shoes. www.passionateaboutwords.co.uk

I guess my tenuous link of the day would be our great character inspired T-shirts which complement most themes - pirates, cops, knights, spacemen, cowboys and indians, witches and firemen.  You can check them out here. 

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Truly Scrumptious - Betty's Tea Rooms, Harrogate

Betty’s tearoom in Harrogate (with 5 others around Yorkshire) is well worth queuing for, if you have too. This graceful, but never pompous, tearoom is not even British in origin but was set up in 1919 by a young Swiss orphan.

Betty’s cooks everything in its own kitchens and stays loyal to the county of Yorkshire, refusing to allow its products over the border to towns elsewhere.

In the tea-room, smart-suited men show people to tables and traditionally-attired waitresses scurry here and there bearing vanilla slices, fruit cakes, caramel chocolate hearts and “plump and fruity Fat Rascals, with bright cherry eyes and cheeky almond grins” on silver-plated three tier cake stands.

And of course as a Swiss chocolatier, chocolates had  to feature heavily too.  So you stretch the experience by taking away a few little treats for later.

All images (c) Betty's of Harrogate

Surf's Up - take an online class. What about cake decorating?

If you were inspired by our last blog, perhaps you should have a go yourself.  And you can do it all  from the comfort of your own home by taking online classes.

If you want to get a handle on designing handbag cakes, complete with divots and pleats or genuine looking zippers, rivets and buckles from sugar paste you could try Elisa Strauss.

Or perhaps sugar flowers are your thing.  No, these are not real flowers!

Then Nicholas Lodge is your man.  He'll soon have you crafting tulips, anemones and peonies.

But then again, you may prefer characters showcasing someone's career or hobby.  

Then Anne Heap runs an online class just for you.   You'll learn how to colour and work with gum paste, model human figures and position them, as well as accessorising their hair and clothes.

So what are you waiting for?  And of course, if the worst comes to the worst, you can at least console yourself with some cake!

Do let us know how you get on if you decide to have a go and of course post your photos of the finished article.  We'd love to see them.

Meet the Maker - Kingfisher Cakes, Hertfordshire

So, did you guess?  It's a cake!!!  I couldn't believe it either.

And if that wasn't impressive enough.  All of these are cakes too!

The woman behind Kingfisher Cakes and these incredible creations is Sandra Mitchell who is based in Welwyn Garden City.

It seems that no request is beyond her talents and although I've focused on the girlie commissions,

if you have a particular interest or occupation, these are catered for too.

Yep, even a mobile phone is possible too.

And here is Sandra at work.

PS  For those who came across this blog and didn't see the original question.

I simply asked 'What is this?'  Hint: it's not a handbag!!

All images © Kingfisher Cakes

Meet the Maker - Rosie Cake-Diva

Inspired by a post shared on the Cobwebknits' news feed, and with my younger daughter's first birthday coming up, I thought I'd attempt one of these amazing cakes by Rosie Dummer, of Rosie Cake-Diva.   Here's the link to the tutorial with step by step instructions on how to make this fabulous spotty cake.

Bespoke cakes with a splash of 'Ooh La La'! certainly sums up Rosie's cakes perfectly.  She describes herself as a manic mum of 4, based in the beautiful Ribble Valley. Shebakes and decorates cakes to make any event special and personal. And as you can see from just a small selection of her cakes, her imagination has no limits!

As well as the more traditional, she caters for every taste and each cake tells a story.

I love this cake with the words 'If you go down in the woods today ....'

'.... You're sure of a big surprise.'

And cakes aren't just for kids.  If Rosie needs any further endorsement of her products, the fact that the author wanted to see this design pretty much seals it.

Oh, yes, and here's the one I made for my daughter's first birthday.  Not bad, even though I say so myself.  (And we agree; editor)

Truly Scrumptious - Bakelicious, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

If you’re lucky enough to live near Tunbridge Wells and need cakes or cupcakes for a special occasion or just because you fancy one then check out Bakelicious.

Sally Burton is a mother of 2 primary-school children who has been baking ever since she was their age. She love designing and baking cakes and seeing how happy they make people.

She uses the best ingredients - such as Madagascan vanilla pods, organic Belgian chocolate, and zingy homemade lemon-curd - and bakes in her kitchen at home where she creates unique designs with a wide variety of flavours and fillings. Vanilla seems a popular choice and red velvet cupcakes feature too. 

And these lemon cupcakes with homemade lemon curd centres sound truly scrumptious!  The handmade edible decorations are based on a favourite book, Tumtum & Nutmeg...mice who love picnics!

You can find out more about Sally and Bakelicious on Facebook.