Silent Sunday

Saturday is Caption Day

Just your average afternoon playing in the garden. Nothing to see. Move along.

Or if you can think of a caption to set the giggles off, then please stop a while and fill in my comments box.

Don't forget to pop along to Mammasaurus for more Saturday morning fun (of the photo variety!).

Frightfully Frugal Party

Today we had a birthday party for the Big One. He is 8 on Friday. I still blame the fireworks and trick or treaters for my waters breaking! But I digress.


Somehow, rather by accident than careful planning, we managed to give him a frightfully (Halloween themed) frugal birthday party. Not that I am complaining. All the more pennies for keeping my wine level stable.

We decided to hold his birthday party in a local wood, The Spinney, which with lottery funding and continued donations, has been turned into 5.5 acres of woodland adventure park. It is easily big enough to contain and entertain 24 children to the point of exhaustion. The only disadvantages are connected to our climate and a birthday in late Autumn. But, a wood in Autumn is pretty fantastic and even if it did rain (for a little while) the kids didn't care and parents were cosy in a shelter.

Cost of venue: a donation to keep this community project going.

I made up a treasure hunt game where the kids had to find letters I had hidden around the wood to spell out a word.

Cost: 10p for card to write letters on. An hour of my time to draw treasure maps.

I cooked sausages at home, bought rolls and ketchup, bought crisps and decorated oranges for our picnic in the woods. They demolished the lot. I also asked parents to bring flasks of hot water so we could all have hot chocolate, tea and coffee to keep warm.

Cost: £13 for the food.

I boiled a couple of eggs, peeled them and coloured them to look like eyeballs.  We then played an eyeball and spoon relay race over a wobbly bridge and through a ditch.

Cost: 2 eggs so about 50p

I was instructed by the birthday boy, to make a cake to resemble a pumpkin. I did as I was instructed and believe I achieved a passing resemblance.

Cost: About £7 in ingredients plus £1 for the marvelous plastic spiders, cockroaches and bats.

I then made some party favours, inspired by a photo I found on the interwebulator. Lollipop ghosts.

Cost: £2.49. £1 for a bag of lollies and £1.49 for googly eyes. I had the fabric and wool already.

Looking at the faces of everyone, and the muddy knees and sticky fingers, I think it was a success which just confirms my belief that you really don't need to spend a fortune on a birthday party.

Now what is frightful is the blatant drive-by trick or treating, but that is another blog spot.

Right, I need a well earned drink.


Joining in with The Gallery at Sticky Fingers.

Saturday is Caption Day!

This is oh so simple and oh so much fun so I am setting myself a challenge this week to think up a caption for every single entry on Mammasaurus's blog. I feel like a gigglefest of a Saturday and so can you by clicking the badge at the end of this post.

Just think up a caption for this picture, jot it down in the comments and await your worthy applause!

This week it is Misty Moo who has the staring role.

I'm looking forward to reading your captions and getting involved with all the other great entries over at Mammasaurus.

Happy Halloween!

Mwhahahahahaha!

This is a true story.

It was the last night of my hen weekend in a country farmhouse near Kirkby Lonsdale. The other guests had to leave on the Sunday afternoon, not having the foresight to book Monday off work but my Maid of Honour, her 1 year old daughter and I were left to toast each other and toddle off to bed for an early night.

In the old part of the farmhouse, I had the pleasure of the master bedroom complete with 4 poster bed, somewhat wasted without the Mr-to-be, but still a lovely luxury. My Maid of Honour and her daughter were in the next bedroom.

We said our goodnights and took to our beds grateful of the early night after the excesses of Saturday. I tucked myself under the heavy handmade quilt and lay my head on the feather pillow, sneezed a couple of times and then fell into a peaceful sleep. As did my friend and thankfully her daughter.

However, a few hours later my friend was woken. At first she didn't know why. She checked the baby who was sleeping soundly and returned to her bed. Closing her eyes she heard a noise. She opened her eyes again, scanning the room looking for the source of the sound. It came again, this time a little louder, like the sound of footsteps. She opened her bedroom door to see if it was me padding about but my door was shut, and on checking, found me snuggled under the quilt.

She returned to her room convinced she was hearing things. Back in bed she heard the footsteps once more, coming from above her head, like someone walking on the floor above. Only there was no floor above. The beams had been exposed to the vaulted roof. Fear overtook her coupled with the need to go to the toilet. She picked her daughter out of the cot and made a swift exit from her room.

I woke the next morning after a very restful night to find my Maid of Honour with her daughter huddled under blankets downstairs. After she shared her experience from her night we were quick to get packing to head for home. But not before we had written in the visitors book where we found other tales of the resident ghost who walked around her attic room.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Mwhahahaha!