Saturday 30 June 2012

pinterest party picks

Good morning, Happy Saturday!  The sun is out, the sky is blue, and it's M's 7th birthday party today (his actual birthday is next weekend, but we thought we'd spread the fun).  For the last 3 years we've done joint parties with a friend of his, so I've shared the work and cost of a big do, with a hall and entertainment and piles of food, and even booze for the grown ups.  

This year I've gone the opposite, no effort route - 8 kids in a bowling alley which does lovely pizzas and ice creams, and I've even (shock, horror!) BOUGHT the cake!  I've not been feeling well the last few days and baking has not appealed, so F went to the supermarket and returned with a cake with Yoda on it.  Job done.  I was horrified at the thought, but once I'd embraced the lack of effort, I accepted that it's ok - M normally just eats the icing and leaves the cake anyway, so why spend hours slaving over the baking and decorating? 

But for next time, here is some of the inspiration I've found on Pinterest - all currently on my 'eat me' board, though I think I need to start a party board!

 
 



Do you have a favourite birthday party memory from your own childhood, or have you decorated a cake for your kids and been really proud of it?  I'd love to hear about it!

Hope you all have a great day whatever you're up to.

Rachel xx

20 comments:

  1. I'm currently experiencing birthday party shame/guilt as I haven't done a party for 3rd boy who turned 5 on the 13th May! I was too pregnant and too tired.. I promised him I'd do one at some stage.... and I will try and do it this holiday.

    I love doing parties but it can be hard work - I like your idea of 'embracing' a no-work one.. Kids are usually pretty easy to please.

    I love Pinterest!!

    Happy Days

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    1. Don't feel bad, you have got 5 kids, and the little one is so brand new! If you give him a party sometime over the summer, I bet he'll be delighted.

      Yes parties can be hard work, I've always put a lot into them up to now but cause I've shared the effort and cost with a friend the results have been pretty spectacular, the idea of trying to replicate that on my own was scary! A stressed Mum does not make for a fun party, so I'm glad we scaled it down. He had a great time, they all thought the cake looked fantastic, and I didn't mind when they ate the icing and left the cake because I hadn't spent hours baking and icing it! Happy days indeed. xx

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  2. Those assorted fruit biscuits are amazing. I love doing a good birthday cake and like to make them up myself- all bar one is my own design. Pop over and have a look at the legoman cake I did in March for my 6yo- lots of retro colour and there is a link to my previous cakes which include a mower,rubbish truck and seahorse. The post is titled - six year olds, lego and waterbombs. i agree it's buckets of work but my kids LOVE talking cakes and just the other day spent an entire car trip planning their next birthday cakes - in 6 and 9 months time! melx

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    1. I will be checking out that legoman cake, that's the kind of thing I would have done this year but I had a tummy bug so the idea of baking made me feel pretty grim. Yes I normally make a big fuss, last year was a space cake with spiral galaxies of edible glitter, the year before that was Chewbacca with chocolate fudge icing forked into a lovely fur texture - they were so fun to do! But to be honest neither of them was appreciated by the kids any more than today's shop bought Yoda, so I do think we should only be making that kind of effort if we enjoy it. My toddler loves talking about what cake to have for his next birthday (in October), he changes his mind about 6 times a day at the moment but it mainly involves variations on a monster theme- sometimes Cookie monster, sometimes Sully from Monsters Inc...I'll wait and see what he's into nearer the time! Rachel x

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  3. Flipping heck I love the top two !
    Hope you feel better soon xx

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    1. I think they're my favourites too, I particularly love the idea of giving them icing pens and letting them decorate their cake themselves! Feeling better now the party's over, supervising a bunch of sugar-high 7 year olds was a bit daunting after being ill, but it went well and I've treated myself to a glass of wine to aid my recovery. xx

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  4. How was it? Did he have a fab time? I do hope he did... ah I wouldn't sweat the shop bought. It's really ok..I am crap at baking and most of my cakes turn out disaster so it's best for all if I do buy shop cakes! Feel better soon lovely... xxxx p.s. 95! You are storming this blogging lark. xxx

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    1. It was great, totally mental but he loved it - me and Frank are completely knackered! 7 year olds are bonkers, we gave them glowsticks to keep them occupied while waiting for their food and they decided they were Light Sabres and started running around having a Jedi fight - thank god there wasn't anyone else in the seating area, it was carnage!

      And yes, 95 - very surprised and pleased, feeling the blog love! xxx

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  5. Hope you feel better soon. You can only spread yourself so thin and sometimes it feels like we are under so much pressure to have done everything ourselves. Bet the Yoda cake was exactly what he wanted! :) xx

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    1. Thanks love, yes sometimes it does feel like we just need to keep going and try to be Supermum; it is so counter-productive because then we end up tired and stressed and grumpy - which doesn't make for happy kids. He loved his cake and didn't care at all that I hadn't made it - I love baking when I've got the time and energy, but I certainly wouldn't hesitate to buy one again if I needed to - parties are crazy enough without piling the pressure on ourselves! xx

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  6. I love the hungry caterpillar sandwiches, and the drawn on cake is great. Decorating their own cake - what a brilliant idea. I always buy the kids cakes, there's just no way I could make something that resembles hello kitty or Disney princess. Fairy cakes are my limit! Hope your feeling better. xx

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  7. I was at a 3 year old's party yesterday and you are so right about the cake - everywhere I looked there were abandoned cupcakes minus the icing!I love baking but it can very stressful baking for a kid's party - these days a Vic sponge just won't do... It's got to be something extraordinary! Hope you feel better soon. x

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    1. Max has often handed me pieces of cake that he's licked the icing off, saying 'I don't want the bread Mummy'! BREAD! Honestly, if they can't tell the difference between bread and cake then surely they don't deserve a home made one?! Of course I prefer home made mainly because you can be sure there isn't so much unhealthy stuff in them, but they can't be too pure or they look and taste boring, and as you say nowadays they expect something pretty impressive! So considering all that I don't think a shop bought one is such a disaster. He enjoyed his party, that's the main thing! xx

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  8. Great collection of ideas! I love the iced fruit biscuits in the first pic. Well done for buying the cake - it saves a lot of stress. I find doing the kids cakes stressful but, because I'm a stay at home mum, I feel that i "ought to" make my own cakes. Silly really. I made a seven layer rainbow cake for my daughter's fourth birthday, iced as a pink castle. It nearly bloody killed me.

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  9. hello Rachel, I have a happy news for you - that you are the winner of my giveaway. I don't see any e-mail here to write to you and ask for address to send it- so I have to do it this way. Congratulation, and place contact me for details.

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    1. Oops sorry you're right - time to update my blog I think! I have emailed you with my address. Very pleased to have the giveaway on your lovely blog! :)

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  10. Hi, love you rainbow colours, think we have a lot in common! Ada :)

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    1. Hi Ada, welcome - yes judging by your blog name we definitely have similar obsessions! Can't get enough of lovely 60s and 70s patterns in all the colours of the rainbow. :) Rachel x

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  11. My girl loves those elmo and grover cupcakes you featured, they sell them at our local supermarket. I have a bash at making a cake each year, last one was a rainbow cake which the kids went ballistic over, chosing what colour sliced they'd have, though i ran out of time to decorate the exterior so i made little tea party scene on top with my girls maileg mice and doll house gear! I'd love to try the kid decorated one-that way i can skip the exterior decorating again and turn it into a party game! X

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  12. These cakes knocked me off my feet - absolutely lovely!

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