Sock Hop Party Theme Part One

When I plan a party I do it really really well. I can't leave one single bit of the planning or decor to other people. I plan everything, I make the decorations BY HAND, and I make sure it's an event to remember. This year started out exactly the same as all the others. Roo requested her birthday invitation to be hamburgers. You can see the post about them here. They were fun and super cute! Best of all, the recipients could build them over and over again! 

I struggled to come up with a theme to suit but after showing Roo some photos and options she settled on a sock hop. Yay! So much fun! And the planning began. I got a great deal of it done but we had a family emergency that forced me to ask for help. Those who know me, know this is unheard of.   

Roo's party was planned for Feb 24th. My Dad died on the 23rd. I haven't written about it other than of his health declining, requiring a trip to the ER.

I spent Saturday in my Dad's home being questioned by the police, calling my family members to notify them and reeling from the sudden shock of having been the one to find him. All birthday setup was put on hold for the day but I refused to ruin Roo's birthday. Hubs and I decided not to tell her until after her big day. We went ahead with her party and only told our closest friends what had happened.

I needed them. 

I needed them to hold me together and help me give my girl her fabulous party I had worked so hard on.

Enter my three best friends. I don't normally name them when I write about them but I will this time. Julie, who has been my best friend since I was 11 (a quarter of a century!), was already in her car making the long drive to be here by my side through this hell. Laura, took both Aussie and Roo for the day to entertain them while I was making arrangements. I didn't want them to see me in such a wreck. Ewa, who shares my eye for party planning came to help me set up early. She and Laura came to help me do everything I wouldn't normally allow ANYONE to do. And they did things exactly as I asked even if they disagreed. They knew to just let me be. They smiled when I needed it and they hurt for me when I needed company in my grief. 

They are good people. The best of the best, and I am so lucky to have them. They helped me give my daughter the party she deserved so she wouldn't associate her birthday with her Papa's death.

I'll post the finer details later, mind is still scattered with the funeral being tomorrow but this is what the party looked like. 

Have you been to a party with a really great theme? 

What was it?

Scaling Back Christmas Spending

It's that time of year. You know, the time of year when we sit around the fireplace roasting chestnuts, enjoying spiced cider and singing Christmas carols until late in the evening. Then with our hearts filled with comfort and joy we head to bed in our comfy pj's for a long winters nap. While the snow gently falls blanketing the earth in white sparkles for us to wake up to.

Um, who are you kidding. That paints a lovely picture, but it sure isn't the reality for many of us these days. It's more like working overtime to scrape together the money for the overindulgent gifts the kids are asking for. Pulling on winter gear to head out in to the mucky, slushy streets to hit up the mall filled with rage fuelled shoppers to get the items you can't really afford in an effort to be the perfect parents to your tech savvy kids. Then you come home whip together a meal to feed your starving family, get them into bed so you can sit breaking your back, wrapping the kiddies presents for hours on end.

Sure we squeeze in some great family time and see people we haven't seen much through the year. We enjoy seeing our kids as the light up when opening that top request on their "must-have" list. But when all is said and done the holidays are long and exhausting, by the time they are over you need a vacation to recover, the problem is after the money you've just shovelled out you have no money left for a vacation!

In the last few weeks I've taken a good hard look at my finances and while I am please to say I am in a better place this year than l was last year. That just means we're not under a mountain of debt. It means that we are managing to keep the bills paid as best we can and are no longer adding to our debt each month. Being off work for 3 years was a huge setback but one that was necessary for me, medically speaking. Despite that, my husband and I nearly killed ourselves coming up with the money to place a check mark beside all the items on their lists. We will NOT be doing that this year.

This year things are changing.

Recently someone in my circle mentioned this method for looking at Christmas shopping. Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. I can't remember who told me about this, and for that I am sorry, but I thank them from the bottom of my heart for mentioning it to me. It was like a switch flipped on inside my head that allowed me to see a way out of the stress we put on ourselves each year. Call it my "aha! moment" if you will. It's an Oprah-created-cliche, yes, but for me that's what it was.

I will we explaining to my children (mostly Aussie- 15) that this is the way we are doing things this year so he must think very deeply about what he wants to put on that list. He may ask for 4 items and each must must fill only one category. It will be hard. I know Roo-4 will not notice in the slightest, but Aussie is going to feel it and it's going to sting, he's the one who has had 15 Christmases of getting EVERY SINGLE ITEM on his list, no matter how extravagant. I pray he understands and acts accordingly. Even if he doesn't the decision has been made.

Mama and the Hubs are scaling back, way, way back. It's to save our sanity, which might have been lost for good if we had to go through Christmas the way we have been in the past few years.

Something you want,

Something you need,

Something to wear,

and something to read

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this new cost cutting mantra?

Birthday Boy

So today was Austin's 11th birthday. I can hardly believe it! 11 Years ago I was giving birth to him and now all these years later he finally has a sibling to share the fun with. Granted the age gap means they won't really grow up together, but her sure loves her already. She "gave" him his card. He wanted so badly for her to have some cake. I told him next year she can! 11 years down and so many more to go. He hardly my baby boy anymore. Into girls and video games etc. Riding bikes with his friends etc.. Clothes that HE picks out not mom, and wants another mohawk so badly. Remember that one? My long time readers might. If not go have a look at my posts from Oct 2006.....

Happy birthday Aussie, Dad and I love you tons!