Birthday parties

Giggles’ birthday is in just over a month. He will be turning five.  This will be his third birthday with us and he is only just starting to understand that he can ask for things for his birthday.  I don’t know about you but having an almost five year old who understands birthdays now means that every visit to the shops results in at least five new ‘needs’ for his birthday!

Last year we had a pirate theme for his birthday with themed games including a treasure hunt and pin the eye patch on Giggles.  I made treasure chests for the lolly bags and pirate hats with Giggles image on them for everyone.  He had a treasure map cake and I even made pirate boat jelly.

~Treasure chest lolly bags (printable by Shala Kerrigan:  can be found here~

~Treasure map cake~

The year before that, Giggles and Chatterbox where here for respite on Giggles’ birthday, so we had a simple party with our relatives and a few friends.  Last year Chatterbox had a Tangled theme birthday with Rapunzel tower cake, flower pennants, and cup cake decorating.

~Rapunzel tower cake ~

I tend to go overboard with the planning, decorating and cooking.  Just before every party I say that next time I’m going to have the party somewhere else.  This time I’m actually doing that!

We have an indoor park near us.  We really like it as, unlike other indoor playgrounds, you are able to take your own food to this one.  Isn’t it silly that you take your kids to play, use up their energy and exercise at these kind of places and they serve junk food without allowing you to bring your own healthy options?  They have the standard party plans – the ones where you pay a LOT of money for food, have no food or entry for parents included and, according to people who have had catered parties, the food is really, really, bad (which isn’t all that surprising considering they don’t have a big cafe, just a spot to get a tea or coffee and a packet of chips).

However, the indoor playground has another option for parties.  You can hire a table (which ensures you have somewhere to sit on a busy weekend), pay for your own entry and bring your own food.  We are planning on having around 10 kids plus Giggles and Chatterbox (who we won’t have to pay entry for as we have membership for them).  The option to hire a table works out to be around $8.30 a child for entry and the table.  We will then have to buy food.  To have 12 kids for the catered party would cost $264.  I’m pretty sure I can provide food for everyone (even parents – who I’m asking to pay for their own entry) for less than $164!  I booked the table yesterday.  I’m looking forward to not having to stress about the state of the house before the party!

Last night I opened my digital scrapbooking program – did I mention that I’m a scrapbooker?  Well, I am.  I am actually a digiscrapper.  I started scrapbooking when the kids came to live with us as part of our fostering requirements is that we complete life story work with/for the kids.  When I realised I didn’t have room or time to pull out all my scrapbooking stuff I took up digital scrapbooking.  I use the Creative Memories Story Book Creator program.  For the kids life story books I do 8.5 x 11.5 (A4 basically) layouts so I can print them on my home printer.  After I print them, I laminate them, punch holes in the pages and put them in a folder.  This way if a page gets lost or damaged I can easily print another and I don’t have to be precious about them looking through their books.  In my opinion digital scrapbooking is much better than traditional scrapping because:

1. Less bulky and easy to sneak in a bit of scrapbooking.  We don’t have space in our house for a dedicated scrapbooking area so I would need to lug out all my supplies, do what I have time for, and then pack it all away again.  With digital I can scrapbook in any spare moments I have.  I can even do it while sitting on the lounge watching TV.
2. If I need supplies I can buy them anytime I want and download them straight to my computer.  You can also find a whole HEAP of digital scrapbooking freebies!!  How many traditional scrapbook designers do you know that give away stuff for free??  (My favourite site for freebies is Quality DigiScrap Freebies.  They keep track of quality freebies and put them on their page with links – easier than searching individual designers/pages).
3. I think the thing I like the most is that digital scrapbooking kits are cheaper than traditional kits and are reusable.  Once you have a digital kit you can use the papers and embellishments over and over again in different layouts which is something you can’t do with traditional supplies.

But I digress – hugely – sorry about that!!!

Anyways, so I sat down last night and opened my digital scrapbooking program.  I pulled up my invitation ‘project’ and started a blank page for Giggles’ birthday invite.  The indoor playground has a castle theme so I searched my huge stash of supplies for suitable kits.  Then I went online, found two kits to buy (the problem with the ease of buying digital scrapbooking supplies is that it IS so easy – and I tend to buy more than I need!!!), downloaded them and made the invitation.  I’m quite happy with the finished product and I think Giggles will like it:

Giggles’ party invitation.
Paper and grass from Chivalry by Kaye Winiecki
Everything else from Twisted Princess by Gina Miller & Jacque Larsen