It's Party Time!

God, I love a kids party! Which is a good thing really since I'm in the midst of planning three in the space of as many weeks. First up is the imminent school Summer Fair. I'm head of the Parents Association (did I mention that before? No? Probably because I'm trying to pretend it's not true myself! So stressful and did I mention thankless? Sorry. I'm at risk of going off on a rant here!) and the Fair is imminent (like next weekend imminent -aaarrgh!) so I am currently up to my eyes in bunting and raffle tickets. I am busily sorting tombola prizes and preparing rats to be splatted. I am the person who has to count those sweets into the jar so some lucky person can "guess how many" and win the lot. My husband says I should just make up a number, but really, that's not in the spirit of things, is it? It's loads of work but it makes the kids so happy, and really, I don't think I could just stand on the sidelines while someone else does all the work. I secretly love it.


So that's next week and every year it falls on the weekend before my big boy's birthday. The following weekend is his party (Mad Science - I'm having a field day planning this one!). And two weeks later it's little lady Wren's turn.

I go to town when it comes to designing the children's parties. No generic shop-bought invitations or Disney-printed decorations for me. I tend to stick to a couple of colours that fit the theme and use solid colour balloons and tableware with the all-important retro paper straws to create a coherent look. I am a stickler for the detail of it, spending hours designing invites and food labels and scouring the internet sourcing quirky party bags and decorations. I want to make everything magical. I mean, to be honest, all I'm doing is making needless extra work for myself, but I have high hopes that when the children grow up and look back on their Birthday parties they will appreciate how colour coordinated and stylish their parties were. Oh, who am I kidding? I want to look back when the kids are grown up and think how stylish and colour coordinated they were!

Last years parties were so much fun! I thought I'd share them with you while I'm lost in Partyland!

Boy's Star Wars Party

Pool noodle light sabres were used to slay helium-filled Stormtrooper balloons.

And later destroyed our Darth Vader decoration!

Food had daft Star Wars themed names. Hutt Dog anyone?!

Other games we played were Stormtrooper skittles...

Dig Han Solo from frozen Carbonite...

And the all-important Death Star pinata. (Hand made - the bane of my life!)

I found Star Wars cookie cutters on eBay for the cake and the guests all had a Lego Star Wars figure keyring in their party bags. I won some serious 'cool Mum' points with this party!

Girl's Rainbow Party

She wanted a rainbow cake, so we had a rainbow party. Which is fairly easy really, you just buy plates, cups, straws, balloons in all the colours of the rainbow. This makes for a really pretty party.

Gorgeous strung balloon rainbow, handmade (no, really?! banner). It was so hot that day so we partied in the garden. 

Rainbows in jars. Love those mallows! I made rainbow-layered jelly too. And coloured meringues. Lush!

These party bags are Little Wren originals and obviously, therefore, completely priceless! It was an all-girl party so I found an eBay seller who made them all rainbow bead bracelets with their names on. So sweet!

And the rainbow layer cake post-demolition. I was rather proud of my efforts! I loved this party. I'd have a rainbow theme every year if she'd let me!

This year, I have been let off the hook with her request for a Frozen party. Since she's a July baby, short of hiring a snow machine I didn't really know what to do. So we are having a tobogganing party at the Snowdome in Tamworth. Tobogganning! In July. I literally cannot wait! That means all I have to worry about is a cool party bag for Little Miss, so I can focus all my creative efforts on the Little Man's big Birthday bash! I just have to get this Summer Fair out of the way first. Roll on that Tombola!