HOW TO: Easy Decoration Ideas for a DIY Frozen Cake

There is no denying the popularity of Frozen; the characters, story lines, spin offs and endless merchandise are loved by children of all ages. My two daughters are big fans, so when Poppy turned three years old this year she requested a Frozen inspired day and cake. Embracing the challenge I started to look into Frozen cake designs on Pinterest, but was a bit overwhelmed at the idea of having to roll out fondant icing and cover a cake myself. Poppy's birthday was back at the start of summer, so we were still in lockdown and it wasn't very easy to just nip to a shop. I knew the cake needed to 'wow', yet be easy to put together and relatively quick too because lockdown life meant making a cake secretly was a real challenge!

RECIPE: Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter Cake

Lotus Biscoff Spread is a thing of beauty, isn't it? The caramelised, slightly spiced, flavours have the power to make anything it comes into contact with undeniable moreish. The combination of Lotus Biscoff Spread with a caramelised sponge and sweet buttercream is truly heavenly, which is why this cake has to be one of my favourites. It's perfect for afternoon tea, celebrations, play dates or for baking with your children. My daughter's absolutely love the flavour of Biscoff, which all started with my Lotus Biscoff Loaded Caramel Swirl Ice-Cream. By using light brown sugar in the sponge you create an almost caramelised flavour, which compliments the Biscoff favour perfectly.

CHILDREN: How to Throw a Frozen Party at Home

Making birthdays special during lockdown or while socially distancing can be a challenge and the magic of birthdays is especially important to children. Recently it was Poppy's third birthday and as our second birthday during lockdown (Isabella celebrated her fifth birthday right at the start of lockdown, which was tried to make as special as possible) we felt much more equipped on how to make it one to remember. Like many children, Poppy loves everything Frozen related so her birthday couldn't really be based around anything else! Luckily, throwing your own little Frozen party at home is a relatively simple theme to follow and there are lots of DIY additions you can add throughout the day to add that extra special touch. These ideas aren't exclusive to lockdown life and can be utilised whenever we are able to throw 'normal' parties for our children or if you simply want to celebrate at home. 

RECIPE: Rapunzel Pink & Purple Swirl Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

When the world went into lockdown we knew that Isabella would be spending her birthday at home with us, instead of on holiday as originally planned. Although initially a bit sad Isabella handled the idea of having her birthday in lockdown really well and we tried our best to make it as special as possible. When it came to the birthday cake Isabella had one wish...to have a Rapunzel cake, so a Rapunzel cake is what she got. I love baking and was lucky enough to still have flour and eggs, despite the empty shelves in the supermarkets.

PARENTHOOD: How to Make Birthdays Special for Children during Lockdown

This is a very surreal time we find ourselves in at the moment due to COVID-19 and our children are constantly having to adapt to the changes, which can be tough. One day they were at school with their friends being taught how to wash their hands properly as the risk of Coronavirus was increasing; then suddenly they were waving goodbye to their friends/teachers and entering lockdown with only one walk a day. It goes without saying that these measures are necessary and so very important to save lives, but it is a lot for us adults to get our heads around let alone the children. My eldest daughter Isabella is the only one of my children at school and despite everything she has handled the change to home schooling/not seeing her friends etc. really well. However, one area that she was getting a bit upset about was that she wouldn't be able to celebrate her fifth birthday with friends/family, like so many children across the world.

PARTY PLANNING: Throwing a Rose Gold Hen Party

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Throwing a Hen Party (or Bachelorette Party if you're in America) is such an honour and exciting event to be part of; the love and thought that is poured into the planning makes this one of my favourite parties to throw. At the end of this year my sister-in-law is getting married, so this summer we threw her a very special Rose Gold Hen Party and it was just incredible. The planning process was very much a team effort amongst her friends and family, which was such a lovely way to do it and meant that it didn't all land on one person's shoulders. 

CELEBRATIONS: Our Joint 4th and 2nd Mermaid Themed Birthday Party

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At the beginning of April Isabella turned four and in June Poppy will be two; honestly where does the time go? While they are both young (and aren't at school yet!) we have really enjoyed throwing them a joint party together. It helps to keep costs down, Poppy doesn't have many friends of her own (second child problems), it means they can be excited together and it makes it easier to get all of their friends/family together. This may well be the last joint party they have though, as Isabella starts school in September. I have to admit it did take me a while to decide whether to do a party at all this year because on the run up I was struggling with morning sickness, as I'm currently pregnant with our third baby. I wasn't sure whether I could manage planning a party, especially as previous parties have always been quite an event to put on. After a lot of deliberations and Isabella asking when her party was going to be the guilt got too much I decided to try and throw a slightly toned down version of previous parties. 

PARENTHOOD: Preparing for Isabella and Poppy's Joint Birthday Party

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The words 'birthday party' will either send parents into a state of panic or a state of planning, preparing and relishing in the organisational side of throwing a party. I have to admit I am the latter of those two, however on the run up to Isabella and Poppy's birthday party this year I have been struggling with morning sickness as I'm pregnant with our third baby. It meant that I needed to keep things simple and as easy as possible because with a bedtime of 7.30pm there wasn't much time away from the girls. Thankfully, PoundToy has a wide array of birthday presents, party bag fillers and decorations that are all very affordable and their website is incredibly easy to navigate.

DIY PROJECT: A very Easy Floral Hoop Tutorial for any Occasion

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Floral hoops have been around for a while now and their beauty, versatility and stylish touch has always made them appeal to me. I wish I had been aware of them when we got married almost five years ago because I would have had them hanging from anywhere and everywhere! I have many boards on Pinterest filled with Flower/Floral hoop inspiration, however up until recently had never really considered trying to make one myself. They look so intricate and detailed, with the positioning of the flowers being so important to the finished look. I presumed the craft was best left to skilled florists or artists. However, I couldn't have been more wrong and with a little help from a glue gun and all of artificial flowers I have created an array of floral hoops suitable for any occasion.

PARTY: How to Make and Decorate Ice-Cream Biscuits

After deciding on an ice-cream themed party for Isabella and Poppy my attention turned to what I could make, bake and create. I love adding my own personal twist to any special event I host, so the girls joint party was the perfect opportunity to get creative and browse Pinterest at length! I've put together a blog post with all the ice-cream party inspiration you'll need and how the party actually turned out, in case you're also in party planning mode.

CHILDRENS PARTY: Having Fun with Messy Senses

When I started planning Isabella and Poppy's joint birthday party I wanted to concentrate on finding the perfect entertainment that would appeal to both of them. Last year, for Isabella's second birthday party, we hired a bouncy castle and I really wanted to think of something a bit different this time. After researching what was available in our area, from parties at restaurants to soft play centres, it became evident that there wasn't anything suitable for both a 10 month old and three year old. I know that Poppy wouldn't really mind what we were doing, but as it was a joint party it only seemed fair to find something they'd both love.

CRAFT ACTIVITY: Ice Cream DIY Party Bags

Party bags are one of those things I really love putting together on the run up to a party because I know how excited Isabella gets when we are handed one at the end of other children's parties. That exciting moment you glance inside to see what goodies the bag holds; a classic childhood memory. As their party was going to be ice-cream themed I had a look around to see if there were any party bags already on the market that would fit the theme. I came across a few different 'sprinkles' ones, but nothing that caught my eye too much so I decided we'd have a go at the DIY approach instead.

PARTY: Ice-Cream Theme Inspiration

When it comes to planning our daughter's birthday parties I absolutely love the planning, preparing and creative side. We hosted Isabella's first birthday at our house, which was floral themed and then last year we had her second birthday party at a local village hall. This year we're returning to the village hall, which is a fantastic space but you aren't allowed to put anything on the walls which limits decoration options. After a lot of deliberation we finally settled on an ice-cream theme, as it is certainly something Isabella loves and we were originally going to have it in late May so it would be nearer to summer. It is in fact in April now, so perhaps a bit early for ice-cream weather which is why I've decided to mix in some pretty florals and rose gold touches.

PARTY: Isabellas Second Birthday

On Sunday we had Isabella's much anticipated second birthday party, with a floral bunny theme. The fact that my baby is now two is hard to believe and because it's her last birthday as an only child I really wanted to make it special. Last year we had a floral themed birthday party for first birthday (have a nosey here), which was so lovely but Isabella was too young to really understand that everyone was there for her. However, this year she knows what's going on and it made the party planning so much more exciting!

SECOND BIRTHDAY: Bunny Party Pinterest Inspiration Board

As we are now into Spring it has finally dawned on me that our baby girl will be turning two in April! Not such a little baby anymore, in fact it won't be long and she'll be a big sister. How will I already have a two year old? It's clique I know, but time really does fly when you have children. I think the saying that the days are long, yet the years are short couldn't describe parenthood anymore perfectly. Last year I was well into party planning mode by now, as it was a welcome distraction from returning to work. This year is a different story though, time is limited and pregnancy fatigue means no late nights planning away. I'm determined to not let this stop us creating a fun birthday party for Isabella turning two!

#LITTLELOVES: The Replacement, Party Planning and New Utility Room

The weather was so lovely at the start of the week, driving to work in the sunshine is such a nice way to start the day. I felt so ready for the week ahead, it's actually my birthday today too! But then I picked Isabella up from nursery on Tuesday and she had red/gunky eyes, poor little munchkin had conjunctivitis. I then had to have Wednesday off work, which really stressed me out. I really hate the feeling of letting people down, so spent most of Wednesday worrying about what people were thinking/saying about me. Luckily Isabella was fine in herself, so we had a day of puzzles and a short walk around the village. Somehow now it's my birthday and I don't quite know how we got to the 10th March so quickly!

5 TIPS: Planning a childrens birthday party

Now that Isabella's birthday party has happened and been enjoyed (read all about it here) I thought I'd share a few tips for planning a child's birthday party that I've learnt along the way. Personally, I've loved the planning experience and very much used it as a distraction from returning to work. Planning a party can either be a small or big job, depending on what you want from the party and your own productivity. I spent 3 months planning Isabella's, just little bits here and there as I knew I'd be strapped for time just before her party. But it certainly doesn't need to take that long and doesn't have to be stressful either!

FIRST BIRTHDAY: Party Food

Deciding what food to have at Isabella's first birthday party wasn't easy. We were hosting about 35 adults and 6 children/babies, all within limited space. We therefore needed food that could easily be picked up, no need for cutting or preparing (ie. cheese board and bread) and that catered for all dietary requirements. I love hosting and thrive off this kind of challenge, it was also a welcome distraction from returning to work too. 

FIRST BIRTHDAY: Isabellas Party

Isabella's is now one...a whole year old! Her birthday was on a Sunday this year, so we had her party actually on her birthday. It was so special to have everyone who loves, cares and has been a big part of Isabella's first year altogether on her birthday. We organised her party to start at 12.30pm so that we had a good chunk of the morning to spend together, as well as putting the final touches to the party food. It worked really well because Isabella napped just before her party started, enabling her to dance the afternoon away! 

FIRST BIRTHDAY: Liberty Party Decorations from Party Pieces

 

 Liberty London is well known for their stunning fabric designs and when Meri Meri collaborated with them to create a party range I couldn't have been more excited! We are having a floral themed birthday party for Isabella's first birthday, so the Liberty Betsy party range couldn't have been more perfect. Party Pieces is a website that stocks an extensive and outstanding range of party supplies, including this Liberty Betsy range.