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Party Planning Check List

29/7/2016

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ASAP
Book venue.
Send a ‘save the date’ to any important guests if it’s vital that grandparents or a best friend attend.
Book any entertainers or other suppliers you require.
Investigate suppliers such as cake makers, check the notice they require for orders.
 
8 weeks before the party
Decide on a theme.
Start jotting down any ideas or assemble a Pinterest album of inspiration related to your theme.

​6 weeks before
Send invitations.
Order cake or finalise plans to make the cake, check you have any equipment or borrow/ buy.
4 weeks before
Order your Humble Hostess pack!
Invite extra guests if you have had a lot of declines.
Keep an eye out for anything connected to your theme that might make good decorations or party bag fillers.
 
2 weeks before
Make a list of attendees for catering, keep a note of parents’ contact details in case of emergency. Note any allergies you’ve been informed of.
Your Humble Hostess pack comes with ideas for games, food, party bag fillers to match your theme, read it through and start planning.
Plan the party food.
Plan party bags, order party bag fillers and any decorations or items for games/ prizes/ piñata.

1 week before
Confirm with venue, ensure any payments made.
Confirm with any suppliers e.g entertainers.
Make a shopping list for food and other requirements (e.g candles)
Plan party games.
Get ahead by filling the party bags, wrap Pass the Parcel, any other preparation for games.
If making the cake and any cake decorations can be made ahead of time start the prep.
Pick out outfit for the birthday girl or boy.

2 days before
Shop for food.
Finish any party game prep or filling of party bags.

The day before
Make/ collect cake.
Collect any supplies ordered e.g. helium filled balloons or helium canister.

Make on the day
Fresh items such as sandwiches.
Finish party food prep.
Fill balloons with helium.
 
Things to take on the day
List of children attending and the parents’ phone numbers.
Tissues.
Kitchen roll.
Wet wipes.
Bin bags.
Cake knife.
Candles.
Matches.
First aid kit.
Extra napkins/ cups/ straws.
Pen.
Paper.
Scissors.
Blutac.
Sellotape/ double sided tape.
Camera.
 
After the party
Large glass of wine!
 
Comment below if there's anything I've forgotten!
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​Make party planning child’s play, top tips for staying sane while hosting a room full of cake fuelled small people.

21/7/2016

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Who?
How many children you are inviting will likely dictate the venue or vice versa so it’s probably one of the first questions to answer. There is a supposed ‘rule of thumb’ that for younger children there is one guest for each year of their age (i.e. 3 year old birthday child has 3 guests) but obviously many parties will far exceed this and good luck sticking with that once they start school! Either way get a list together and send out invitations well in advance if you want to limit numbers for any reason or if your party falls over a holiday period.
Include any details on the invitation which might affect whether someone feels able to attend such as the venue not being suitable for younger siblings or whether parents are expected to stay.
 
What?
Keep it simple and draft in all the help you can. If one of the other parents is willing to stay and help offer to do the same in return for them. Sign up any aunts, uncles, grandparents or other willing helpers to set up, organise activities, keep an eye on the time and of course clear up afterwards.
You might want to look into a venue that runs activities for you or hire an entertainer to give you a hand and don’t forget to take essentials such as pen and paper, bin bags, scissors, sellotape, first aid kit etc. (check list in another blog post coming soon).
Our Humble Hostess boxes come with links to ideas for games and colouring sheets to match your theme as well as ideas for themed food and links to high street shops stocking related items for party bags to really make things easy.
 
When?
When planning the time of day to hold the party consider whether attendees or their siblings are typically at school or have after school classes and whether parents will be able to easily drop them off and collect them around other activities.
When you send out invitations I suggest adding an RSVP deadline date and request the RSVP to an email address as this makes it easier to file responses and search for them later, far easier than searching through your texts and the parent’s email address might help you identify the surname and help you tell whether it’s ‘little Jack’, ‘big Jack’, ‘blond Jack’ etc who is coming and which might help in writing thank you notes.
When you get an email response from a parent that their child will be attending I also suggest a quick response thanking them, adding your phone number and asking for theirs if the children are old enough that they will be leaving them just in case of emergency. Include any directions if the venue is hard to find, if there are any parking issues and asking for notification of any food allergies. You might want to include a quick sentence as to what the party will entail such as a bouncy castle, if it is to be held outside or whether there is an entertainer or other activity so the parents can ensure the child is appropriately dressed or prepare a more shy or reticent child for the activities to come.
 
Where?
It is amazing how far in advance some popular venues book up for children’s parties (obviously lots of parents far more organised than me out there) so the availability of the venue may dictate the date and time available so check the availability of any key attendees well in advance. Popular venues can book months in advance so plan ahead if you want somewhere in particular or if there is little choice in your area.
If you are new to the children’s party game or new to an area try posting on local mums' Facebook groups or other local parenting forums for suggestions of suitable places.
If the children or lots of younger siblings are likely to arrive by buggy consider the space available at the venue for buggy parking or if parents will be leaving them maybe consider how far away the toilets are from the party room for older children. You’ll need a space for activities/ games and ideally a separate space for the food to be set up while games are in progress. Have another table available for presents and space for coats and bags to be left out of the way.
 
How?
Before the party write up a quick plan of timings for yourself so you don’t end up with parents arriving to collect the children and suddenly realise that you haven’t cut the cake or equally have the children fed, full of cake and then realise that you still have them bouncing off your walls for another 40 minutes before their parents arrive! Depending on the venue maybe allow 15 minutes free play at the beginning of the party while everyone arrives so any late comers don’t feel they are arriving in the middle of something and perhaps have an extra activity set up such as a colouring station (little table or picnic rug with crayons and print outs to match your theme) for any children taking a while to warm up or not interested in the entertainer or a particular activity.
 
More blog posts coming soon for ideas on party food and a party planning checklist.

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Party bags AKA bribing everyone to go home.

12/7/2016

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Party bags just seem to be one of those ‘love to hate’ items. The kids love them, you somehow feel that you have to do them but are probably lacking in inspiration for things to put in them that the other parents won’t hate you for. No parent loves a party bag full of sweets and little plastic toys that get scattered all over the house.
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They do at least have the bonus of signalling the end of the party and encouraging your little guests to leave your house!
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​Here then are some original ideas to save you racking your brains and spending all night on Amazon.

1. One decent gift
There is a current trend away from party bags with several small items towards one larger more useful gift. If you look at the price of party bags plus the extras you’re going to put inside you can probably buy a little gift and just add a ‘Thank you for coming to X’s birthday’ tag (all our kits contain 30 matching stickers saying just this that you can use for the party bags or for Thank You cards) and a bit of ribbon and give each child a small present to take home.
This little present could be perhaps socks or gloves to match the theme of your party, this is fairly easy if you have a children’s character as your theme as High Street shops or supermarkets are likely to sell them and parents generally don’t mind an unobtrusive piece of clothing which can always be kept in the car or pre-school bag as a spare! The Poundshop often has 2 pairs for £1 that could be used.
You might also be able to find small jigsaws or board games which fit your budget.
 
2. Recycle your party decorations
If you have hosted a party which involved buying more substantial decorations or equipment for example a baking party and you bought 20 mini rolling pins, aprons, chef’s hats or Princess cookie cutters then there’s your party bag gift.
 
3. Add to the toys they already have
Most children will have a stash of crayons, Play Doh, play food, Lego etc. and no parent will object to a fresh tub of playdough or new colouring pens.
Try Dotty Dough Factory for 3 cute pots gift wrapped.
 
4. Books
Another addition to the book shelf is usually welcome. Perhaps go for something that ties with your theme or something new or unusual so that the guests aren’t likely to already have it. Try Thew Book People for good value box sets. Maybe a simple child’s cookery book might be welcome along with perhaps a cookie cutter.
 
5. Activity Kits
Everyone needs a rainy day, long flight or Doctor’s waiting room stash. Sticker books or activity books make great going home gifts. We also sell personalised themed baking kit party bags, they are a fab plastic free alternative and give your guests a standby activity for the next baking session. We have designed them not to require eggs, room temperature butter or a mixer to make life as easy as possible, just add melted butter and your guests can knock up some post party shortbread in no time.
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6. Something that can be used up or left outside
A helium balloon from the party decorations will keep tiny ones amused. A small inflatable is ideal for an animal themed party and (pre-inflation!) fits in party bags easily, it can then be used in the paddling pool or kept in a wendyhouse.
For a summer birthday party you could give a bucket and spade or outdoor play kit e.g plastic digger or a shaped sandcastle toy. These seem to get lost on a pretty frequent basis (or is it just us who constantly leave them at the park sandpit?) so a re-stock and something to entertain them in the garden is a popular idea.
 
You could stick with the gardening train of thought and, if the children are likely to have gardens, give a plant. This could tie in with your theme, maybe for a pizza making party they could get a tomato plant or seeds, for an afternoon tea party give a strawberry plant and for a dinosaur party they could have a plastic dinosaur who could live in the flower bed and a small fern plant or similar.
 
Any other bright ideas? What’s the best thing your child has received in a party bag? What do you dread them coming home with?

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Making a show stopping cake without having a meltdown. Part 2.

7/7/2016

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Following my last blog on cake decorating, here are the next two tips on putting together an impressive looking birthday cake with as little work as possible. 

​​Tip 3. Use toys as decoration
If you are concerned about making the topper and can’t find anything suitable to buy then you can always look into using toys. I made this very simple Postman Pat cake using plastic Postman Pat figures and just making Pat’s van from sponge and covering in ready coloured fondant. I made all the letters, flowers, covered the board in fondant etc. a week before so only had to made the sponge using a brownie pan, cut it to shape, cover in fondant and assemble the various bits. Making it was especially easy as I found a great blog post to follow for instructions @tamingtwins
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Tip 4. Cheat with the actual cake.
Much as I love baking various types of cake I can’t say I find baking plain sponge cakes for birthday cakes much fun. They generally have to be made within a day of the party to ensure freshness, then let it cool and then flat ice it before starting on the decorating in the evening once the kids have gone to bed. This level of pre-planning, time management and energy have so far eluded me. I have to confess I therefore frequently ‘cheat’ and buy a readymade and flat iced sponge cake on the grounds that plain sponge cakes aren’t my greatest talent and that most people don’t really notice the taste of the cake.

As supermarket cakes obviously contain more preservatives that something you would make yourself they do also have the advantage of lasting longer if your cake doesn’t disappear on the day of the party. They are available in most supermarkets for about £4 or you can often order larger ones or ones of different sizes (usually need 7+ days advance ordering)  from Marks & Spencer or Waitrose Entertaining which you can put together for a 2 tier cake.

You can then move them onto your cake stand, either pipe around the bottom or add some ribbon and then assemble your decorations on top. Bingo, cake you bought, decorations you made a week ago and a cake that looks like you were up all night….
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    Jo - The Humble Hostess

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