Paw Patrol Fourth birthday party

My youngest son recently turned four, and after talking through a few themes, he decided on a Paw Patrol party.

First up was the invitation- I used my Cricut to print and cut the images, as well as my Cricut pens and the CTMH Magical Paper for the background.



When guests arrived, they were invited to colour in a birthday themed Paw Patrol colouring page with some Paw Patrol Crayons, which they got to keep.



This activity was very popular with little hands!



We did not have a lot of decorations this year, but one thing that the birthday boy insisted on were Paw Patrol Balloons.



A party wouldn't be complete without tableware- so we had Paw Patrol napkins, plates and cups for the party guests to use.



The party was held at lunch time, so we had a variety of hot and cold food, with sweet and savoury options. All the food was labelled using these free printables.



We had paw and bone Pup-cakes (made using chocolate and white fondant, plus circle and bone cutters) Paw-sta salad and Paw Patrol cookies.



I served Pup-corn in these cute icecream cups, and we also had Rubble's Chippies, Hot Dogs, Pupperoni Pizza and Chickaletta Nuggets.

The birthday boy approved of everything, especially the cupcakes!



The children ate at a table covered in a green tablecloth and we also had green cutlery to use, as Adam's favourite character is the green dog, Rocky.



After little tummies had been filled, it was time to play a game. I used this giant poster game of sticking the badge on Chase, which brought out the competitive side of the kids!



Of course, you can't have a party without cake! I used more white fondant as well as some bright blue fondant with my circle cutters to create some paw prints over a double layer chocolate sponge cake. I had considered creating all of the Paw Patrol characters out of fondant, but I found these figurines on super special and so decided to use those, as then they could be used again for Adam to play with.



Adam loved his cake!



Happy birthday to our little dynamo- his Paw Patrol party was a great success and we had one tired but happy boy at the end of it.



A huge thank you to Sweet Pea Parties, The Make Company and The Warehouse for the supplies used to create this Paw Patrol party!

Mister Maker comes to town!

I was lucky enough to win a family pass to Mister Maker thanks to Spark, and it was even luckier that it fell on my son's fourth birthday!

For those of you who don't know, Mister Maker is a TV show aimed at getting kids creative- paper, paint and glue are staples of a Mister Maker show!

We had a fun start to the afternoon at a pre-concert event held by the people at Spark.



In true Mister Maker spirit, there were lots of art and craft activities to keep the little ones entertained.



There was also a very talented face painter there, who made my sons into Ironman and The Hulk.



Then it was off to the concert, where we found our seats and waited patiently for the show to start.



Mister Maker's dancing helpers were there and started off the show by hunting down Mister Maker and The Shapes via satellite and the big screen.



Once Mister Maker's hair was perfect, he arrived on stage to chat to everyone about how fun it is to be artistic. The mix of songs, demonstrations, audience participation and arty parties kept my two paying attention throughout the entire show.



Parts of the TV show were converted into live audience games and there were a few children (and parents) called up on stage to help out with songs and creating.



It wouldn't be a Mister Maker show without The Shapes, who danced along to their classic song and also surprised us with a few new songs and an eloquent speech from Rectangle!



Even more surprising was Mister Maker's awesome dance moves and rapping skills! This show kept me entertained as well as the littlies.



Adam was even lucky enough to get a personal birthday message from Mister Maker on the back of his VIP pass- we left the show with two very happy boys, two entertained parents and big smiles!

Snack Station for new mums

I have already talked about feeding a new mum for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but snacks for new mums are so important too.

I put together this snack station full of food that can be eaten on the go, with one hand and provide energy, sustenance and hydration.



Dole Fruit Cups are great for breakfast with cereal but also make a yummy snack when fruit is too hard to chop up! I also added some Dole Snackers nut clusters, which are delicious and provide energy. Popcorn is another favourite, and of course I had to have some Whittaker's Chocolate!



A few more of my favourite snack products made it in too- Annies Wiggle fruit bars, The Collective yoghurt suckies and Frooze Balls.



The finishing additions were some cans of sparkling flavoured water to keep up the fuid intake, and of course some home baking!



This basket provides some healthy, convenient and tasty snacking options for those quick moments between busy newborn duties.

You are Four

Adam, you came into the world four years ago today with your eyes wide open and full of wonder.



With your blond hair and big blue eyes, you had such a calm vibe about you and were a definite mummy's boy! There were issues with reflux, feeding problems and sickness, but through it all you battled through and showed me what a fighter you were. Seeing your big blue eyes look up at me made the long days worth it.



As you got older, your cheeky personality began to shine through. You loved noise- squealing, banging, yelling and thumping the floor were your ways of showing joy.



You made me laugh with your little quirks such as wearing boxes for hats and clipping pegs on your clothes!



Your love for your big brother is obvious, even though at times you can fight and get on each other's nerves. Just like any brothers, you have your moments, but I know how much you look up to him and how much he adores you.



Superheroes rate high on your list of favourite things, and you love to gt your face painted like Spiderman at any opportunity. Hulk is also one of your preferred superheroes since your favourite colour is green, and you know all of their superpowers and real names.



One thing I love is our coffee dates- you always request a fluffy and an egg sandwich, plus the lolly on the side of my latte!



Happy fourth birthday to our sweet little boy.

A Blue and Floral Friday

Fridays call for loose fitting clothes, a relaxed casual feel and my favourite colour-navy!

I find it so easy to put on this Batwing cardigan for a chunky, cozy layer on any outfit.

Paired with this floral top, grey denim jeans and my navy boots, this outfit can take me from the mall to a coffee date to the school run!

I even have matching blue floral earrings, which bring some colour to my face.

This outfit is great for layering as I can take off the cardigan if I get too hot, and the boots keep my feet toasty warm.

Do you have a loose fit cardigan in your wardrobe? It is like being able to wear a blanket! This particular cardigan even comes in different colours- the chocolate is on my wishlist.

Top: Ezibuy Capture Shell Top
Cardigan: Boohoo Lucy Loose Knit Batwing Cardigan
Boots: Number One Shoes Dusty Ankle Boots
Bracelet: Whitehot Murano Beads

Feeding a New Mum

Those newborn days can be a blur as you get to know your sweet baby. Eating nutritious and healthy meals is very important but may not be the easiest thing to organise with your new addition!

I found it so helpful to have meals given to me as a new mum, and so when my sister had her baby I knew I wanted to help her out too.

I decided to create some breakfast, lunch and dinner options on the go for quick, easy and healthy meals.

Below are the items I took around to her.



Her breakfast should be easier with this Paleo Granola and some fruit- I added pre-packed fruit so that there was no chopping or peeling required.



Lunch was a few of these pouch soups- I love them because some of the flavours are gluten free and all of them are delicious! I also added some rice cups to go with the dinners.



I had five dinners ready to go in these Glad containers, as well as a container of stir fry vegetables to go with the meatballs. The freezer meals are:

• Fiesta Chicken Bake
• Spinach Enchiladas double serving (originally vegetarian but I added ground lamb)
• Chicken Pesto Meatballs
• Classic Mac and Cheese

Five days worth of meals sorted for new parents- I know it is the kind of gift I would like to receive!