12 weeks to go .... Halloween Party Ideas

The next few months are really busy for us.....
I still have a few days camping with the boys planned with my mum in August
Back to school and the start of a new job for me in September
Both Ben and hubby's birthday's in October
Bonfire night in November
then Christmas in December.........

Before we know it we'll be singing Auld Lang Syne and hoping next year doesn't go so quickly.

Chickywiggle's guide to .... Christmas Party Food

This season we have mostly been eating and ... well yup that's pretty much it.  From roast dinners to party food to chocolate you name it, we've eaten it.  But that's what Christmas is all about right?  **tucks into another piece of shortbread**

I did a big online food shop that was delivered on Monday 22nd.  To be honest the experience I had using the app was far from perfect.  I booked the slot in good time and it was really convenient to open the app wherever I was to be able to add an item (or delete one if I got it cheaper somewhere else).  Every time I went in to add an item tho the chicken in the basket became unavailable and I had to replace it with another.  5 times this happened in the run up to the delivery and I was beginning to think I would have to go shopping somewhere else on Christmas eve.  Thankfully I was able to add the original chicken to my order the night before so Christmas was saved.

Tesco had kindly sent me some money off vouchers as part of the Orchard Programme for their Finest* Party Food.  It wasn't easy to find these online (as I've said before our online Finest* range is not brilliant) but with some googling and looking at what others had purchased I discovered there was more to the Party Food range then I first thought.... couldn't get the profiteroles tho :(

Our Tesco Finest* Party Food  range helped out in 3 meals over the festive period.

Heroes in a Half Shell........ Turtle Power.

I promised you I'd let you know how Ben's birthday and his party went... so here's a round up for you (I'm going to get round to the "how to's" I promise).

The decorations I mentioned a few posts ago from Kids-Partyshop.co.uk look absolutly fantastic.

  

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Party Supplies

Mummy...... can I have a party??

Those words every mummy/ daddy/ carer dreads hearing, and yet every year without fail (normally 6 months before their birthday) those words are uttered.  Depending on what sort of person you are you either go into a mad panic mode, or you book the tortuorous soft play party or, like me, you simply say "maybe, we'll discuss it nearer the time" (hoping they may have forgotton/ lowered their expectations) ........ until 2 months before their birthday when they again ask and you think "ohh pants, I guess I'd better get this party planning hat on then".

Last year I took the easy option, the fail safe option and booked a party at Pizza Hut for Ben and some friends.  Ouch that was an epic fail in itself.  From the 5year olds that "don't eat Pizza" (seriously!!) to the lack of planning and from the place itself..... but I won't go into that - you can read all about it here. 

A year was spent where most weekends we were at one party or another, it was so much fun (for the kids)... not quite as enjyable for the parents who had to endure soft play hell or the party hall of doom.... 30 screaming hyperactive kids ... no thank you.  

     Then you had the element of "who can outdo who"..... one had a bouncy castle ... so the next had a ball pool and a bouncy castle.  

      One did the party games all by themselves (very brave).... anther hired Elsa from Frozen to run the show for them.   

      There were facepainters, dj's, The Hulk, foam pies in faces, balloons.... balloons and oh did I mentin balloons?  

      There were the parents who provided a nice slow cooker curry (YUCK) for the parents while their kids ate semi-stale sandwiches and those whose family own the local Chinese (YUCK) takeaway and provided a complete buffet for the grown ups (while kids ate cold nuggets and smily faces) .... and then you have the parents who thought they were feeding the entire school and were probably eating cold party food for weeks to follow (my personal favourite -I think I ate my weight in strawberries at that one).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle - Party Invitations

I may have mentioned (once or twice) how Ben is having a TMNT party for his birthday.  As it's at home I've told him he can have 4 friends as my house can't take many more.  All the invitations we saw to buy were very boring . ... so with a bit of Pin-spiration ...  I bring you home made TMNT invitations.  And they are soo easy.