Party On Kid! IT'S A GIVEAWAY!

I haven't had a proper birthday party since I turned ten years old. It had a fifties theme (what can I say I was precocious and the film Mermaids was out) and I had made the very controversial decision of inviting every boy in my class. Twenty five years on I still remember the day clearly - not because it was fab (although it was) but because the whole process was so stressful. Would everyone come? Would anyone dress up? What about music? Party bags? I insisted my mother made ice crream and jelly and just before she brought it out from the kitchen Scott Spencer who was (and according to Facebook stalking still is) extremely cute announced that, 'Jelly and ice cream is for babies.' I basically had to rugby tackle my mother and a brimming bowl of sugary gelatine to the floor. Luckily my ma is very resourceful and managed to fashion a great pudding from birthday cake and ice pops but MAN was it a close one. 

After that I was done with parties, it's not that I don't celebrate, just in a very small group; very often with a table for one. It didn't occur to me that I wouldn't get away with this forever - then I had a baby. One of the awesome (read: at best irritating, at worst soul destroying) things about becoming a parent is that you have to do things that you wouldn't necessarily do for yourself and for me that meant parties. 

So anything that will make that process easier for me gets a big thumbs up emoji in my book and that's where Party Bags and Supplies could step in, they have everything you could want for any celebration to remember and at the end of this post you can enter a giveaway to win £30 towards your next shindig, in the meantime I hope these tips help...

Forget about peer pressure - Your child is unique and their party should be about them and not whatever Connor, whose mum always has time to starch his shirts, had at his party. 

Creative doesn't have to mean crafty - No more 2AM tears over Pinterest. Something as simple as picking your son or daughter's favourite colour can make an amazing theme. 

Know your audience - Kids want sugar and the freedom to scream for two hours, play to the paying customers - the other parents. Make sure there's some adult friendly snacks and the tea (or booze) is flowing, it might be the only break they get all week. 

Get a gift list - I know this is a contentious subject but I haven't shaved my legs since September, I don't have time to hand pick a present every other Saturday. If you feel guilty about requesting stuff just make sure you get your kid into lego - you can never have too much lego. 

Get someone else to do it - a doting aunt (Hey auntie Jo!!), a soft play centre, a teenager in need of a punishment; the outsourcing of parenting should be applauded and you can then put all that free time into planning your own birthday celebration.

For your chance to win £30 to spend at Party Bags & Supplies please enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

photo credit: docinhos via photopin (license)