Tag: fun | Funken Wagnel

If you’ve noticed in my sidebar, you’ll see I’m participating in Blogtoberfest this month. Now, I’ve had the odd lament as to where the heck my blog posts are if I take too long to post, so if you’ve ever felt that way, this month should make you happy.

I like to usually post when I have time to put something together, and something to say. Blogtoberfest is a great little way to push something more spontaneous out of me, yes?

Today I will warn you, though: I’m cheating a little. I have a throbber of a migraine, and I’m trying to prepare for a short trip away tomorrow. So, I’m going to share some photos of my daughter and I’s trip to Sydney last year, when she competed in the Premier’s State Spelling Bee final. Why? Because I am incredibly pumped about us going back this November too.

All you need to understand from these photos, since my I have brained my damage with this migraine today, is I have such special, relaxed, happy memories of my time spent with my beautiful daughter on that trip. It wasn’t just Sydney despite my missing it dreadfully. It’s that my daughter is at the age where my most important job is more and more seeming to be the letting her go. Teaching her to find her independance and be a separate unit from us, her family. This trip reminds me that yeah, I need to do all that, and she needs us to let her do that, but, that the foundation of love and closeness between her parents and family is still just as important as it ever was, to give her a strong platform with which to launch her into the world.

I don’t get as much time with my eldest daughter these days as she grows up and away, so I treasure this one on one time just that little bit more each time it happens.

Here’s those photos from last year. I will probably read this post tomorrow and wonder where it came from. Such is the magic of the migraine.

Most pictures will be from the Chinese garden of friendship. We stayed there as long as we could, because it was so tranquil and delicious.

What is it about November and its purple jacaranda trees? Magic. There were so many of these in the Sydney suburb we lived in, way back when. Mental note: whack a jacaranda in the front or back yard, stat!

See you later when my head is straighter.

Here is a long overdue product review of an excellent party/invitation supplies online store, Little Dance Invitations. I was supposed to post this on my previous blog, then life happened. Sorry, Little Dance. We loved the free party goodies you sent us, and everyone commented on how well decked out our party was.

It was Missy 11′s birthday at the end of September, last year. She’d won the regional spelling bee in her area and we really wanted to treat her for her birthday this year. The fabulous part about having a child win a spelling bee is that you get to travel to Sydney to compete at the ABC centre at state level and have it broadcast live on the radio! Here is a picture of her in action at Sydney:

I blocked out her school uniform for obvious reasons. She made it about half way through before being eliminated. Now that I’ve gotten my boasting out of the way (what? I’m entitled, nay, obligated, to boast) onto her party…

I took all these photos before the party, which is why there are no photos of the kids. My five year old son was being strangled by one of the darling guests as his mother looked on and did nothing, so you can imagine how busy I was during the party. I kept telling the kid off, getting dirty looks from the ‘mother’, then my partner decided to give it up for the bad joke it was and take our two little ones home to keep them safe. I probably should’ve sent the son and his mum home, but hindsight is 20/20, as they say. So, that’s my long winded and not at all bitter explanation of why there are no photos of the kids having fun.

These are the cute invitations.

I was surprised to see my daughter pick such a stereotypically ‘girly’ theme, mostly because although she likes pink, she loves red even more. I think the clincher for her was falling in love with these sweet little owls. I was thrilled with how well the invitations turned out, especially because they had a magnet on the back so guests could stick them on the fridge. I’m sure we had a higher than normal RSVP rate this time around, and I wonder if it was because of this.

I especially loved not having to write every invitation out myself. I have doctor’s handwriting if I’m to put it nicely. If I’m to put it in my father’s words, I write with a ‘thumbnail dipped in tar’.

Let’s just say, invitations look better printed out than written by me.

Little Dance were so generous that they gave us these paper pom poms and lollipops that matched the owl theme:

These lollipops were thick and gorgeous! I’ll admit I don’t normally like lollipops, but I loved these.They were thick and the flavour was strawberries and cream, and when we bit them, they had a chewy centre which resulted in a juicy taste explosion. So good.

As well as these gigantic paper pom poms (which I thought would be terrifying to put together but were surprisingly simple), they sent us a themed birthday banner, so we could jazz up the old country general store that we held the party in.

These pom poms hung over the table where the children were eating, and it really set a festive, joyous tone to the whole occassion. I’d go as far as to say they were the main talking point among the parents.

Most years, I find a way to screw up the birthday cake, be it by making it myself (no oven this time) or, like this time around, not booking the cake to be made three days in advance! All I could do was to grab four chocolate mud cake slabs from woolies and thank god Little Dance sent this awesome edible icing for us. Oddly, everytime I stuff up a birthday cake, the kids always say it’s the best they’ve ever had. Go figure.

…And what about these personalised choccies, huh? This was my absolutely favourite thing that Little Dance sent to us. We decided to forgo lolly bags and gave each child a thick lollipop and a choccy plus a glowstick and they were well impressed. I’ve got to say, I’m impressed with Little Dance too.

Thank you so much Little Dance for making our party so fantastic! I’m sorry for the epic wait, and not once did you email to ask what happened to the review. I wouldn’t have blamed you one bit if you’d torn strips off me. I’d definitely use this great website again and again, not just for birthdays, but for our wedding as well.

What do you guys think? Cute or what?

Disclaimer: all products reviewed were provided for free by Little Dance Invitations.

Tag Archives: fun

Anticipation

Missy 11′s Birthday Party Complete With Strangulation