Flash! Bang! Wallop!...What A Picture!

 

Nothing like a bit of Tommy Steele and his Cockney mates to brighten a cold wet November morning. You will remember we had our own Flash! Bang! Wallop! just five weeks ago with the spectacular demise of the microwave [Video here] John Lewis promptly supplied a replacement. And on Monday, that one went bang too! This time we asked for our money back. We suspect there was a batch of defective magnetics, and research online shows other people have had similar problems. We now have a similar Hyundai. 

What a Picture? Here's one to amuse you...

Bob has been asked to give out the gifts at the Chapel next week at the Toddler Group Christmas Party. Santa #1, who has done this for years, is just out of hospital, with a broken leg. Santa #2, who helped out last year, is about to go into hospital for an op. So Bob is stepping up as Santa #3. Except the costume was bought for #1. A small, slight man, it is Size L. Bob takes size XXL! Furthermore the beard and wig are a massive of  horrible static nylon curls.

Here he is in the unaltered outfit and itchy beard. I spent Thursday making a new beard using some white fur fabric from The Stash. I sewed fur and black gaiters to the bottom of the trousers legs, and let in some elastic into the hat so it would fit better. 

I hope there will a photo later of Santa in full costume, so we can "stick it in the family album"

Top Tips for working with fur fabric

• On the back of the fabric, mark the nap [direction] of the fur with a few arrows, so the pile runs in the right direction
• Use glass headed pins so they are easy to find and retrieve, and don't disappear into the fluff.

Teatowels, Dressing Gowns, Old Pillowcases - And A Nativity Costume Tutorial

When I was a child, I'm sure that costumes for Nativity Plays were just cobbled together from existing garments. Someone cut a head hole and armholes from a white pillowcase, and once you had a circlet of tinsel, that was your Angel's robe. And the innkeeper, Joseph, and shepherds wore their dressing gowns, with a check tea-towel tied on their head with Dad's black bootlace. Traditionally Mary had a blue shawl. Kings had cardboard crowns or Grandma's scarf wound into a turban.
Nowadays, it feels like even the preschool event requires hiring an outfit from the Royal Shakespeare Company! God bless all those teaching assistants and overworked teachers, who have assembled a class set of Nativity costumes which can be fetched out each winter and assigned to the cast. I checked back to 2014. I made 7 angel costumes, 7 shepherd outfits - and "camel humps and bodies" to go with the heads which the TAs had retrieved from the cupboard.
If you are handy with a machine, it doesn't take long to knock up an outfit though.

I found an ancient, much mended duvet cover in the loft. Bought in 1995 as a cover for a futon mattress, and patched with an old check duvet cover in 2011, and again in 2020. The fabric is so thin in parts, it is not fit for a bed anymore!

Rather than use my usual 'three rectangles' pattern I just cut out a front and back T shape with sloping shoulders. 

The neckline is a simple oval with a slit. And I put one belt loop in a side seam.  The side seams end in 10cm slits for easy movement. I used the check patch to cut two rectangles for the head-cloths and two long straps as tie belts. The waistcoat is a 45x90cm rectangle. Fold it in half at the shoulders. Cut a centre slit and curved neckline, and sew side seams to the armhole.

Finally stitch a loop of elastic or stretchy fabric 55cm long, and attach to front centre of the head cloth [75x45 - like a teatowel!] Tutorial HERE. All done and dusted. Ready to go off to Manchester

TOP TIPs

1. Aim to make costumes easy to put on, and generously sized to fit over regular clothes. If it is cold, children may want to wear tshirt and jogging bottoms underneath.
2. Are you dressing the child, or will the TA have half a dozen tots to get sorted? Make it easier for the dressers - the loop means you can ensure belt doesn't get separated from the robe, and Leo doesn't get Theo's sash. 
3. Likewise, the attached strap makes the headcloth easy to pull on, and shouldn't come adrift mid production
4. Shepherds are pretty rustic characters- so don't fuss too much about hemming and use non fray jersey
5. If anybody complains that your angel does not have wings, explain politely that in the Bible they are never mentioned as having wings - it is cherubim and seraphim who have them. [Exodus 25, Isaiah 6] 

THANK YOU to everyone who has made a donation to our Cornerstones Christmas Tableau-  either cash in the pink pot hanging by the display, or online. We have raised around £200 thus far, which is truly wonderful!

Fit To Bust!

A popular idiom meaning 'with energy and enthusiasm'. Yep, that's my approach, most of the time. Admittedly there has been diminished energy round Cornerstones of late [once the girls left on Sunday] , but still enthusiasm. It being Thursday, I thought I would share 3 more tips relating to my recent koromogae activities. Apologies to any blokes, this is a rather girl-oriented post!

first I mentioned briefly on Tuesday about turning hangers, but did not explain it very clearly

At the end of the season, any hangers not turned round will show the garment has not been worn. When I replace garments, I turn the hangers and put them to the right of the rail. Unworn clothes end up all on the left.

second prolonging the life of my slippers. I love my Moshulu slipper boots, but the inside linings have worn badly at the heel. Cheap foam insoles cost around £2.50 or more. I had a brainwave...

I bought table protector for the dining table, years ago. And trimmed it to fit. The trimmings went into the Great Stash in the loft.  It is the perfect stuff to cut into shape to line my slippers! And if it only lasts one season, I have plenty more of it for future winters!

third I have had an issue with bras. I am very fond of the 'tee-shirt' style. I like that layer of padding which gives a good, smooth line under finer garments**. 
But maintenance of these is difficult, and I realised some no longer 'fit to bust' properly. 

The problem is that if you fold them in half and tuck one cup inside the other [as recommended by those Folding Women who have perfect underwear drawers] for storage, or to put them in those nifty little lingerie washing bags, you end up distorting the padding. After a while, the top edge starts to curl outwards, and ruin the smooth line.

Then I had this brainwave, and all those years studying topology found a practical purpose.

Twist the bra in the middle, through 90º, then tuck the right side into the left side, with minimal distortion of the padding.

Voila! Push the back panels into the cups, and you can store or put in a washbag without damaging the garment's structure.

You read it here first - how mathematicians make their bras last longer!
Three ways to better manage your wardrobe at minimal expense.

**Before I had children, I was size 32AA. I remember being on holiday with a female friend, lounging by the pool, and a guy asked "Where do you come from, Ang?" Quick as a flash, my mate responded "She's from Norfolk, where everything is very flat"

Thrifty Thursday

 My apple peeler is still at my friend's house. Her family are using it daily and eating more apples than usual. The youngest particular likes the fact that the apples are corked [ie cored!]  So I am back to using my traditional corer and potato peeler.

But last week I saved the bits into a lok'n'lok which I kept in the freezer till it was full. Then I used them to make a true ZeroWaste preserve; "Compost Heap Jelly" This recipe comes from HFW's 9 years ago on Sue's Blog [THIS Sue - there are so many Susan's in Blogland] Thanks Sue

I made four little jars of jelly from the cores and peelings which would normally go into the compost. That's Thrifty Tip #1

I do the initial stage by putting peel etc in a pan, covering with water and bringing to the boil. Then I tip everything into the slow cooker, and simmer for a couple of hours. TT#2

And when I finished, I put the resulting slushy brown purée into the compost anyway! TT#3

You need a jelly bag to drain everything. Spend £10 or more on a metal one from Tala or a red plastic one from Lakeland. I make jelly about once every five years - so I have improvised my own jelly strainer from stuff in the house. No cost! TT#4

Begin with an old, clean teatowel. Place a stool upside down on the worktop, and drape the teatowel over the top, fastening the fabric  securely over each leg with an elastic band. Put a bowl underneath. Let it drip for a minimum of 3 hours.

Do be patient [500ml came through in first hour - but by the evening, it was almost 700ml. Do not be tempted to squeeze or push - that will make your jelly dull and cloudy.

Final kitchen tip is about vinegar bottles. I like my Sarsons 'table' bottle with its sprinkler cap. But that costs five times as much as vinegar in a large bottle with a plain top. Unfortunately the Sarsons cap does not unscrew. The trick is to stand the empty bottle upside down in a jug of boiling water for 5 minutes. Then wrap it in a teatowel and carefully ease off the plastic cap. Refill the bottle and pop the cap on again.

This is such a simple thing and can save you £10 or more per litre! Thats TT#5

And now - totally unrelated - I enjoy flicking through glossy magazines - especially ones relating to recipes, gardening or crafts. But they cost upwards of £5 a time. And I don't want to keep them. But because I belong to Norfolk Libraries, I can download the Libby app free and borrow loads of magazines to read on my tablet or phone. 

A different free magazine every week = £300 a year saved. And not just magazines- there are books and audiobooks too. 

Absolutely brilliant. TT#6

That's half a dozen tips to help you save money this autumn.

Have you got any good moneysaving tips to share?

Bored Of The Flies?

So difficult to keep on top of them, they seem everywhere in this hot weather. It's vital to keep food covered. But there comes a moment when the salad has to come out of the fridge, along with the mayo, and it is good to have plenty of water on hand. I've tried to be creative about "lids" and I think I've found some workable solutions.

It was ridiculously satisfying to discover that the silicone lid I use on bowls in the microwave is exactly the right size for my salad bowl. And my small MOOPOP fits the little bowl I use for serving mayonnaise.

I picked up the little glass jug from a CS year ago. It had lost its original stopper, but this inverted champagne cork does the job. [I don't drink champagne, no idea where the cork came from]  Until the other week, I had a cute IKEA water carafe with a silicon lid. Then it slipped and broke! I retrieved the carafe which Bob had kept since his student days. The IKEA lid didn't fit. 

I found the cover I made four years ago from a vintage doyley. Perfect.

I recently picked up a yellowstickered bag of three limes. I sliced and open-froze them. Instant ice-and-a-slice.

One of the ancient names for the devil was Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies.  I was amused recently to read the suggestion that those irritating insects which keep you awake at night. Buzzing round the bedroom, should be called beelzebugs!

Have you any good suggestions for creating no-fly zones?

Take Me With You, I Can See Perfectly!

If you have seen the Great Escape, you will remember this reference. Donald Pleasance, playing Blythe "the Forger", who did such great work producing fake documents for escaping POWs. But close work, straining to see in poor light, really damaged his eyesight. 
I have had my sewing machine out over the weekend - repairing leggings for Liz, and shortening a pair of trousers for myself. Here are my current two Top Tips for needleworkers.

TIP 1If you keep a few bobbins already wound, label a couple white and black. It is incredibly easy to pick up a dark bottle green or navy blue bobbin - or a grey or cream one, in error. It saves a lot of squinting! If you can't see the difference between black and white bobbins, and you can't thread the needle TIP 2 get an eyetest.

I had my last test in April 2023, but since Christmas I have been struggling with small print, and with needle threading. So I popped down to Vision Express, and discovered the sight in my right eye has deteriorated [fortunately there is no change in the cataract situation 'slight signs, nothing to worry about']  

One happy woman at the sewing machine - I'm wearing my new glasses. Remarkably similar to the last pair, but cheery cherry red frames this time. 
Pleased to report needles and small print no longer an issue. The glasses were not especially cheap - the varifocal lenses cost £££ even if the frames didn't. [I got my eye test free as an OAP]

But it is worth the money, I do a lot of close work. [Sewing, not forging passports] The new glasses are making a very positive impact Off to the dentists this morning - double appointment, first with hygienist then a routine check up. More ££££

Yes I CAN !!

I definitely think I have earned my classy National Trust Head Gardener's mug. Both raised beds are looking splendid, and I am getting positive comments from passing dog-walkers! That said, my splendid crop of broad beans has been decimated by blackfly over the weekend. 

My stock of gardening equipment is coming along nicely...

Monty Don advises keeping your watering cans full, for three reasons

1. That will free up space in the waterbutts in case of rain
2. It will weigh them down and stop the plastic ones blowing about the garden if there is wind
3. They are ready for a quick dash round watering to tomatoes etc.

Julian was with us three days- and the morning after he went home, his late Mum's "Blessings" rose finally bloomed. Typical! The Egyptian Walking Onions grow more triffid-like than ever. The original bulbils at the top of the stems have developed into little clusters of small red and white onions [size of a spring onion] and then another stem plus bulbil is shooting out from each cluster.

Kirsten advises putting some pots of compost around for the bulbils to plant themselves into. You can break off the little'uns* from the cluster, and eat them as spring onions or pickle them. Or leave them to grow on to shallot size. Eat them as shallots, or replant. And the green stems can be chopped up and used like chives.
* leave some to sustain the new bulbils.

As I have tomatoes, mini cucumbers and salad leaves almost ready to harvest, I can add in a sliced little onion too. As these were a gift from Kirsten, they should be called my Egyptian Walking Onions [Kirsten's] or EWOKs for short!

You Gotta Nick A Pocket Or Two...

 

My yellow Seasalt jacket is getting old - a gift from Liz and Steph, Christmas 2016, it's lost its original golden hue, and has some ineradicable marks [which stubbornly refuse to come out, with Vanish or NikWax Shampoo] But I still love it. However the cuffs are really worn and fraying badly. What to do? There was a small inside pocket, rectangular in shape. Having unpicked it, I cut it into three strips, and joined them into a long piece of binding.

Cutting the strip in two, I bound the cuffs, covering up the frayed bits. It's discreet, and tidy, and will give the jacket another season or two. 

There is a time and a place for "visible mending" - but sometimes you just want to repair something without making a feature of the darn or patch. My Top Tip is to nick a pocket and use the fabric for patching or binding. 

I've lost count of the number of pairs of trousers I've mended like this. Either remove the pocket or sew across the opening of the pocket and cut away the fabric behind. 

Have you got any good tips for mending garments to make them live longer? 

Kitchen Sink Dramas

A few random thoughts from the kitchen. Not particularly dramatic, but products I have started using recently and I think are worth mentioning.  I do not want to 'monetise' my blog, and get paid for advertising - but if I find something I think worth sharing, I like to review it here. Starting at the sink

Here in East Anglia, we have a dialect word for cloths/rags used for
cleaning around the home - dwile [believed to come from the Dutch word dwell meaning mop] There's even an old pub game dwile flonking, where you flonk [or fling] your wet rag from the end of a stick. 

I have been concerned about the plastic particles in microfibre cloths and was looking for a greener alternative. And I chanced upon the Swedish Dishcloth, the ultimate ecofriendly dwile! These were invented by an engineer, Carl Lundquist in 1949. They are made of cellulose - wood pulp - they are highly absorbent, easy to keep hygienically clean, and when you have finished with them they can go in the compost bin. They do not smell bad like some dishcloths do, and they rinse easily.

I had read some reviews  and decided to buy a pack for myself at Christmas. I bought a pack of Wettex [the original Lundquist brand] and started using my pink cloth on Jan 1st. On Feb 1st I got out the green cloth too. It's useful to have two 'on the go'

• they are incredibly absorbent [tested with ¼cup water, they had a 98.3% absorbency rate]
• when wrung out thoroughly, they dry surprisingly quickly
• they are easy to sanitise [run through washing machine, or lay on top rack of dishwasher, or rinse thoroughly in hot water and blast for 30 secs in microwave]
• they are good for use when washing up, wiping counter tops, cleaning the hob, washing windows...

I hang mine over the tap at night, and in the morning they are dry and fresh for use again. I am definitely sticking with these

Second thing is food related- specifically cheese alternatives. I have never really eaten cheese, it upsets my stomach, although as I have got older, I have discovered I can manage soft 'farmhouse' cheese [cottage, ricotta, philly etc] 

But sometimes I have wanted to umami taste, and  saltiness of parmesan sprinkled on a finished dish. "Nutritional Yeast Flakes" aka nooch have proved a good alternative. You don't need much to make a difference.

Even tastier is "Vegan P" produced by The Pasta Factory, in Manchester [a restaurant and deli] It is a mix of chopped almonds, walnuts, cashews, pine nuts and sunflower seeds, with added nooch, nutmeg and salt. The downside of this is that I can only get it from the wholefoods supermarket at the end of Steph's road! The company don't sell it mail order. [Bob gets his parmesan in a wedge from Lidl. It keeps for ages in the fridge]

Finally - yorkshire puddings. I am aware that this is a very divisive issue. But I like a few small puffy puds with my roast lunch [does not have to be beef - I like them with chicken, pork etc]

I'm not very good at making from scratch [unlike Liz who makes wonderful yorkies] and although the precooked frozen ones are brilliant, they do take up a lot of freezer space [esp when you consider they are mostly air]

I am completely hooked on Aunt Bessie's bake-at-home Yorkshires. I served these at Christmas and they worked perfectly. Each comes in its own little recyclable foil dish and they puff up splendidly alongside the potatoes and parsnips. Our last-minute-lunch-guest on Sunday was impressed. 

If you are an air-fryer-user then they cook well there too.] 

furthermore they are vegetarian, and minimally processed.

Have you found any good kitchen related items recently?

The Milk Of Human Kindness - A Yogurt Tutorial

Lady Macbeth uses this phrase - concerned that her husband's compassion will get in the way of her ruthless plans for his future kingship. Milk is an important part of our diet - certainly at birth, and "mother's milk" is a term meaning something very necessary for life. As we grow older, things change - many nations drink a lot of cow's milk. In Finland the average is 2 pints per day, in the UK just over a pint. But in some countries there is widespread lactose intolerance [e.g. Yemen and South Korea] and some religious groups have rules about milk [Jews do not eat meat and milk together, or cook meat in milk]

Before the advent of fridges, people were concerned to ensure their milk was fit to drink - hence the development of things like kefir and yogurt- both fermented products, and clotted cream, which is heat treated, and can last up to 14 days. I like yogurt, and for years have been making my own. Anne asked for a tutorial. I use an electric yogurt maker like this. Sadly they are no longer made!

The basic principle of home made yogurt is this - take a pint of milk, warm it to 'blood heat' , stir in a tablespoon full of natural yogurt, and leave in a warm place overnight.  And in the morning, voila! yogurt.

You can use an electric model - they use less energy than leaving a light on overnight - or simply put the warmed milk into an insulated flask [this Kilner system is good]  Here is a simple recipe from Tesco

Over the years I have modified my system

• I use UHT milk - because that way I can make it as and when I need it, without using up our 'everyday' milk from the fridge
• I add a heaped tablespoon of dried milk powder to give a richer yogurt
• I've discovered that using whole UHT milk gives a really lovely creamy texture, more like Greek yogurt
• Once made I use the yogurt as is - perhaps adding fruit, nuts, a spoonful of honey/maple syrup/jam as a sweeter.
• If I am almost at the end of a jar of jam, I will mix it in with a stick blender to make pink yogurt!
• I use it as a topping for desserts in place of cream or custard [sometimes sweetening with a teaspoon of icing sugar]
• I use it in recipes, often in place of buttermilk, eg in scones or soda bread - or spoon a little on top of a bowl of thick soup.
• I blend yogurt into smoothies and milk shakes [and this summer I plan to make frozen yogurt ice creams as an alternative to shop-bought UPF ices]
• Strained [through coffee filter, kitchen paper or muslin cloth] it makes a soft cheese, lovely with a little salt and chopped fresh herbs. Keep the whey and use in scones, or as stock in soup.
• Make a pancake batter with eggs, yogurt and a banana.

DO keep everything spotlessly clean, or the yogurt will spoil quickly.

DO remember to keep back a spoonful to start your next batch

IF it starts to taste acidic, then buy a small pot of yogurt and use that as a fresh 'starter'

QUICK IDEAS

layer up granola, yogurt and fruit in sundae dishes for a quick dessert

add chopped cucumber and mint to yogurt for raita to serve with curry

mix yogurt 50/50 with mayo for a lighter coleslaw dressing, or for Coronation Chicken

In my teens, I was staying overnight with a friend. She said yogurt was supposed to make a good facemask for purifying the complexion. We bought a pot from the co-op. At 9.30pm [after her brother had gone to bed] we smeared it on, and left it to dry, then around midnight, sleepily rinsed it off and went to bed. We awoke with smelly yellow streaks on our necks and ears. Since then I have eaten yogurt but not used it as a cosmetic!

Liz had this lovely book for Christmas and she has sent me Olia's recipe for drop scones, which uses kefir [usual method]

• 150ml kefir
• 1 egg
• 100gm flour
• ½tsp baking powder

Do you make your own yogurt?

Do you have a favourite recipe which uses yogurt?

Hot Stuff!

It's been very cold here in the UK this week. There's been blue skies and sunshine over Cornerstones, but still very cold. I'm typing this on Tuesday afternoon, feeling a bit shivery - but that's mostly reaction to the dental anaesthetic wearing off I think. The dodgy tooth is out, and once the soreness has gone, I'm confident all will be well. But what are my top ten tips for keeping warm, without spending too much money?

1. As Martin Lewis always says "warm the person, not the room" - dress in layers, and add an extra one of you are still cold [says the woman in her dressing gown at 3pm]
2. 
   Embrace hygge and keep a stack of blankets to snuggle up in when you're sat watching TV or reading.
3. If you don't use a room very much, don't heat it! 
4. If you've been using the oven, once finished cooking, prop the door open to allow the heat out to warm the house [not advisable if you have kids or pets around]
5. Grandma's solutions - thicker curtains, draught excludes at doors etc - old fashioned but still sensible.

6. 

   Warm food - centrally heat yourself. Ribsticking suet puddings, jam rolypoly with custard, trays of roasted vegetables, casseroles and curries. [and if you're weight watching, remember there are hot low calorie alternatives to salads like soup]
7. Stay active, try and keep your circulation going.
8. Set your heating to come on just before you get up and go off as you go to bed.

9. 

   You will sleep better in a bedroom that is not too hot - but keep the bed warm with a hot water bottle, or electric blanket on timer. Wear bedsocks. A warm milky drink is a good idea. 
10. Do check on benefits available, ask the Citizens Advice Bureau. If you able, make use of other people's warmth - visit "Warm Hubs", maybe at a local church, library, or community centre.

What tips would you add? 

Cosy Creativity

The Christmas crafting is all done and dusted, and now I am thinking about projects for the new year. I was returning library books for Bob recently, and grabbed a couple of crafting ones, hoping for inspiration.

I had high hopes for this one, Willow Crossley is an established florist/stylist, who has worked with a number of large companies on photographs for their brochures/advertising But I was a little disappointed  

Of the 40 projects, 6 were just variations on the them of 'fabric bag'. 

The projects were divided into 4 categories "decorate, hang, use, nest" There were all the usual things - teacup candles, flower wreaths, chalkboards, covered coathangers etc. But I really don't think "buy a plain panama hat, and fit a new ribbon hatband" merits the title of "a project"

But there was one idea I had not come across before. Decorative Sticks. Let me show you...

...Cornerstones does not have a mantelpiece anywhere. And I don't want sticks on my windowsills. Bob was somewhat scathing about the idea of using my embroidery threads to wrap up twigs!

So sorry Ms Crossley, I  think my ideas and yours don't quite match up! But the book has got some pretty pictures in it, and do I agree that natural fabrics, and real flowers are preferable to plastic trim.

I'll rate this ***

Book Two - "What shall we do today?" by Catherine Woran was a lot more useful. I have looked at CWs other craftbooks before, and they meet my "well explained, clearly illustrated, decent templates" requirements. This has sixty project to do with children aged 3-12

Yes, there were lots of different ideas, and I liked that she had grouped them in seasonal sections - spring included ideas for Valentine's Mothering Sunday, Easter etc, Summer featured sunny, outdoorsy stiff, Autumn had pumpkins and Halloween ideas, and of course Winter was focussed on colder weather and Christmas treats.

I liked her emphasis on natural materials, paper, yarn and fabrics rather than lots of plastic - and many different types of craft to develop skills in little hands. Modelling, painting, cutting, tying, folding, stitching, printing.... And if you scoop out the pumpkin seeds to make a lantern or bird feeder - dry the seeds for a necklace. This would be a good resource book for a young mum [or auntie, granny,  uncle or grandad] who wants to engage children in purposeful crafts. 

And the basic ideas are ripe for development - simplify for younger children, add extra decorations for older ones. Things like bird feeders offer the option of discussions about nature, greetings cards for Mums/Dads can be varied for other friends or family members. I know how to make pointy hats for witches or magicians - but this book has the best instructions for somebody who doesn't know where to start. *****

My top tips for children's crafts - try it yourself first, and be realistic about how long it will take. They get bored very easily - and it is frustrating when things are abandoned half-finished. Consider projects as having three stages - preparing materials / assembling / decorating and finishing. It may make sense to do the prep yourself beforehand. Or if they are going to prepare/collect/sort/cut out themselves, maybe it is a 2-day craft. e.g. We will make it today and paint it tomorrow. 

Last Saturday it was enormous fun watching Rosie , 7½ and Jess 2½, decorating biscuits. One carefully spooning icing on to the cookie, then choosing and positioning the sprinkles. The other happily splashing and flinging  [the Architect and the Raccoon all over again]

When the awful weather outside means we need to stay inside, some cosy creativity can be a good activity for people of any age.  Or just curl up, under a blanket, with a mug of tea and a craft book to read through...

Top Tips For a Children's Party

Tonight Bob and I will be running the Christmas Party for the children who came to our Easter Club - plus a few extra. The party will happen in the Chapel, and parents and carers can stay in the church hall and drink coffee and eat cake. There will be activities in there for younger siblings too. My tips for such an event

1. Get as many helpers as you can! And ask somebody else to be responsible for all the catering [thank you Wendy] They will eat less than you think. And they don't like sandwiches.
2. Plan your timings very carefully. We have two hours, 3.30-5.30 - and there will be registering at the beginning, and at the end, parents can come through for a couple of carols etc. At 5pm, I will check how it is going - if behind schedule, we will cut one thing out, if running ahead, I'll throw in a Christmassy quiz. We are having four teams
3. Vary the activities- we have some crazy songs, some games, and a few short videos, as well as sitting on the floor in circles for refreshment time, and a brief craft activity [an angel spinner using old CDs]
   
4. Choose age appropriate games - for our 4½ - 11 year olds we have Pass the Parcel Plus, Musical Islands, and Balloon Battle.
5. PPP means every layer has a small pack of Haribo PLUS a little challenge. Make sure every child gets a chance to unwrap - and if there are more than 12 children have teams, and two or more parcels to speed things up.
   
   Use different paper for each layer, and including brown paper salvaged from internet packaging [to save money.] 
6. 
   Musical Islands- make sure your newspaper has enough pages. My Eastern Daily Press was alarmingly short of sheets, my neighbour's Daily Mail had plenty[ I had to prune out those with unsuitable pictures!] 
7. BB blow up the balloons beforehand, take them in a large bin bag. You'll get a headache if you try to inflate 20 balloons by mouth too quickly [use a balloon pump if you can find it]
8. Relax, enjoy yourself and the children will too.
9. Best tip - find someone else to do it!