Getting shot of the mortgage sooner than 2049!

Baileys_Babe

The cones sound a good idea and less painful.

I like the idea of Lego in the pinata, very on theme but I also thought of how painful it would be to tread or kneel on. 

Themed party crockery always seems a waste to me, you spend so much more for something you are going to throw away in a couple of hours. 

If one of you can draw perhaps draw a giant lego figure and then play a variation of pin the tail on the donkey/pin the head on the Lego figure.

Bluegreen143

BACK AGAIN. I think I’ve cracked it!! I’ve just downloaded free printable (A6) Lego challenge cards. Going to buy a set of clear plastic wallets for putting them in so they are protected. So each child gets:

- a slice of cake
- a set of Lego challenge cards in a plastic wallet
- a cone of random Lego (which they found in the treasure hunt) - sourced from our Lego collection as it needs pared back a bit 🙈 
- some sweets & chocolate coins (collected during the pinyata and treasure hunt) 

We will buy a small Lego set for the middle of pass the parcel too.

I really hate the plastic one-use tat you get in party bags and how much needless expense they are so hoping this is a fun and fairly green and low clutter alternative! I’ve floated the idea of using our own second hand Lego to some of the parents involved and they all loved it so hopefully nobody minds. Monkey was choosy with his guest list this year so everybody coming is a very good friend and I know the parents well - there are 12 overall:

- my two (2)
- his five best friends from class, two boys and three girls (5)
- a P3 from his school who he’s known all his life as I’m friends with her mum & they went to nursery together (1)
- a boy in another class who lives across the road (1)
- two of my friends’ kids, who he knows well (2)
- two little sisters of guests, who are friends with Bambi (2)

I was really surprised he didn’t want more from his class as last year it was difficult paring the list down so they’d fit in my house 🙈😂 but he seems very settled in who his friends are now. Which is helpful for me as a smaller guest list is easier. Bambi gave me an enormous list of nursery friends for her party so I was relieved some had Santa visits and couldn’t come 😂

EDIT!! The above adds up to 13! Quite glad I itemised it now!

Baileys_Babe

I like your party plans. Remember to enjoy yourself as well.

Bluegreen143

Thanks @Baileys_Babe!

Mondays are busy here as Monkey has Beavers. We walked the morning school run today which meant I got an hour of fresh air and exercise (30 mins for the kids obviously). It’s to be dry all week so I want to walk in as much as possible - it also saves on petrol, of course. I stupidly forgot to pick up the kids bikes at pick up though (don’t worry - they are safely locked in the nursery bike shelter!) so they will need to scoot or walk tomorrow. I may encourage walking so I don’t have two bikes AND two scooters to pick up after school 😂

After work I picked up the children and we headed to the playpark. I only meant to go for ten minutes but we ended up staying longer. The park was almost empty (probably because by 3.30pm when we arrive, it’s starting to get dark!) but there was one other family there - a little girl who used to go to nursery with Monkey, and her little brother who is currently at nursery with Bambi, plus their older brother and granny. They were engrossed in playing with their friends and I got sucked into chatting to their granny so we ended up there longer than I intended. 

So it was a mad rush back to the car to get home to prep some lentil soup for the instant pot (thank goodness for the instant pot, absolute lifesaver!). Soup is going to be ready in 10 mins then we will eat early, as Beavers is at 6pm. 

Bluegreen143

Sitting in the car while Red jump starts it as the battery is dead again 🤦‍♀️ we will get it replaced ASAP. Poor Monkey has had to miss football as we on our way therE.

In happier news, work is 100% complete on the conservatory 🙌🏼🎉🥳 Red has put the flooring down and is painting and wallpapering today and then it’ll be done!

Reasonably organised for Monkey’s birthday party tomorrow, except the house is chaos 😂

The Lego challenge printable cards I’ve printed and stapled together in a wee booklet and they look AMAZING. I’ve put together cellophane cones filled with assorted Lego pieces to use with them and the kids will find these at the end of the treasure hunt. Cheapest party bags ever (Lego was scavenged from Monkey’s drawers). Still need to set up the treasure hunt tonight or tomorrow first thing. 

Have baked the cake (chocolate) so only need to decorate it tonight. He wants Kit Kat fingers all round the outside to make a wall and smarties filling the top - easy and effective looking and I’ve bought a nice cake topper and candles. 

Got a party today - it’s at a swimming pool and both kids are invited - Red can’t come so I’m a bit worried about my stress levels supervising both kids in the pool (neither can swim) and getting them changed etc myself 😬 they will have fun but I’ll be a wreck! Kids have made cards for the birthday girl and I’m putting £10 in. 

KajiKita

Hmmmm …. Either the battery is on the way out or whatever is meat to be charging it (alternator?) is a bit watty…. Absolutely infuriating for you. 

Yaay for all the organisation for Monkey’s party tomorrow and the conservatory 😊❤️

Good luck with the swimming …. 😉

KK

Bluegreen143

Party done! It was really fun though Red and I were knackered 😂 needless to say, 13 kids (mainly aged 6-7 but three four year olds too) running about popping party poppers etc meant my house was a disaster again after 5 minutes! 

We let them run wild in the playroom/living room/garden for about half an hour to start then did activities - treasure hunt (they had to find squares of Lego all over the garden then make a tower collaboratively and once it was tall enough we told them roughly where the treasure chest was buried in a planter!) and foam airplane races. Then after a bit more free play did food & cake/happy birthday song then piñata. The piñata was literally the last 10 mins so we did miraculously time it exactly right. 

The conservatory is pretty much done except painting the ceiling, and we got all the furniture in. It was lovely as the few mums who stayed all plonked themselves down in the conservatory. You get better visibility of the kids but are also somewhat out of the way as the kids’ path out isn’t through the conservatory sofas. And felt nicer and less chaotic to have a dedicated adult seating area versus them sat in the living room where it was loud and chaotic with kids jumping on the sofas 😅 plus our living room is quite dark in winter daytimes as is north facing - so lovely finally to get some daylight in one room!! 

We got Halfords out to replace our car battery for us and it was £115. He says to check the alternator if it happens again but the battery was 7-8yo which is the usual end of lifespan so likely just that. Taken from emergency fund. Red paid for him to check all the oil etc but as it was all fine he just refunded the extra money so quite happy with the customer service! 

Baileys_Babe

Children's parties are fun but so exhausting especially when you are hosting. 

Glad to hear the conservatory is already adding value to your lives.

You will no doubt be finding party popper steamers for weeks as they seem to have a knack for evading the big post party clear up 🎉

Bluegreen143

Haha, no doubt @Baileys_Babe

Getting a £30 voucher from work today, we are all getting it in lieu of working paying for a night out. Would much rather have the voucher! Technically I should keep it for my spends but I’ll be choosing an Amazon voucher and using it for presents I think! 

I *think* all spends for the conservatory and garden are now done 🤞🏼 Red needed more paint for the ceiling but I think he’s already ordered it so it’s accounted for on YNAB.

£46 left in the kids’ party/present pot for doing a Tesco order for Bambi’s party (piñatas, paper plates, sweets, food, cake ingredients etc). We will go slightly over no doubt but any extra will come from the grocery budget. I do need one extra sheet of wrapping paper for her too as ran out so will need to nip to the card shop this week. 

Monkey has a Christmas jumper day this week and doesn’t own one 😱 I don’t think there’s enough time to order one from eBay. We have enough in the kids clothes pot to get them both one but I’ll buy his in the size he’s not quite in yet so it does next year too 😜 he needs new gloves too as has already lost two pairs this winter 🙈

Chridtmas budget has £267. We’ve already got the tree, sorted about half the kid’s presents, got grandparent photo calendars and got my parents’ gift (voucher for a posh meal out). So need to get each other’s gifts, chip in with BIL for MIL’s gift and finish shopping for the kids. I also need to buy my sister’s present but will take that from my personal budget as we agreed we’d pay for siblings & friends gifts separately this year. So £267 may be enough or I’ll top it up when I get paid next week. Christmas food I’m going to take from the grocery budget but I’ll need to budget more in there for that from my pay too. 

My payday is also when we get the £1,200 help to save bonus so that will be fun day on YNAB 😂

This weeks plans
Today - normal day, work then playpark after school then Monkey has Beavers - got Tesco delivery this AM

Tuesday - Monkey’s birthday! Gym then work then playpark then we will maybe get a new movie to watch together  

Wednesday - normal day, work then it’s my catch up day where I work in the afternoon once I’ve got the kids

Thursday - busy day - gym then work in the office then school Christmas movie event 

Friday - non working day, Tesco shopping in AM, take Bambi to outdoor playgroup and do chores 

Saturday - school Christmas fayre then take Monkey to football then try to get a family walk in (as well as cleaning & party prep)

Sunday - Bambi’s party then in the afternoon family are coming for tea & cake and to bring presents 

Goals for this week

- all the party prep, cake baking, finish present wrapping etc

- start on sewing kids’ PJs as all I’ve done is cut them out 

- check over kid’s presents and identify what else we need to get, possibly order them if time

Bluegreen143

Successful evening! Chocolate orange cake baked for the actual birthday tomorrow (I realise it’s a tiny bit extra to get two homemade cakes for your birthday but all the party cake is gone as it went in party bags and got eaten on the day!). 

By the way, did I share a pic of the party cake?! Very pleased with it:

The chocolate orange cake is much less pretty, but I think it will be tasty 🙂



Presents are wrapped and ready and I made a card earlier so just need to write it.