What Do You Expect From a Party Host?

Hello,

It's been a while.  I've been very busy with parties, expanding the type of work I do, settling children into school and generally enjoying life.

My daughter started nursery at school in September, and has been making many new friends.  I hope that some of them will be a good influence on her, and calm her down!  (She's very active and excited about everything and everyone.)  As a result of her new nursery setting, she has been invited to many parties recently, and for me, it has be VERY interesting to see how different party plans work.

Most have been fantastic!  I've loved being a parent at parties and watching how party hosts interact with the children and the adults there. I've also picked up a few ideas which I hope to implement at future parties, and considered how I would change/adapt if I was hosting that party.  I'm not here to moan about other party plans, each to their own etc.  (By the way, for my 4yr old daughter, I used the Gym Academy in Portishead, it was BRILLIANT!)

However, today my daughter went to a party that has this description on the website. 

 "We have dedicated party hosts to help you plan and personalise your party to make it a truely memorable event."

Perfect!

But this is my problem.  My idea of a party host is someone who is there to work for the children. Someone to smile, interact, make them feel special, and provide fun.  He/She should talk with the child's parents, be on hand all the time to make sure that what they ask for is done.  The party host today didn't do this. Their duties consisted of handing out tomato ketchup, putting pots of ice-cream in front of the children, giving them spoons and standing in a corner looking bored. The parents chatted with the children, encouraged them to eat their food, filled up their cups, refilled their cups and guided them with what to do.

Excuse me if I sound critical, but that doesn't sound like a 'dedicated party host... making it a truly memorable event.'

So, in true fashion, I've tried to work out how this could have happened.

1)  The host has this role as a weekend job and doesn't want to be there.

2)  The host has not received training in how to host a child's party.

3)  The host is young, and was intimidated by the parents there.

4) There is no set policy on how to interact or how to make a party memorable.

5)  The host is young, has no experience and has been thrown into the deep end.

I like to think that it is the 2nd option, which could be easily sorted with a little training. 

What is different about PartyEase

Communication.  What does your child want from his/her party?  What do YOU want from the party?   

Interaction.  From the moment I walk through the door, even during set up, my focus is on the children, making them feel comfortable and confident with me.  Children are the most important part of the party, they need to feel special.

Fun. -A party needs to be fun.

Inclusive. I have found that younger children don't always want to join in with all the party games.  And that's fine, every child is an individual, growing in maturity at different rates.  I make sure I have extra activities that the children can do independently, rather than sit on the side feeling left out.

Personal.  Every party is different.   All my parties are tailored towards the birthday child.  

Experience.  I don't want to give away my age, but I have nearly 20 years experience of working with children aged between 2 and 11. I know how to adapt to different situations, I know how to engage with children, and I still enjoy it!

Me. I do this job because I LOVE it. If I didn't, I'd do something else, but there's something about 20 children having fun, laughing, being loud and then going away saying that it was 'The Best Party Ever!' that really appeals to me.

Why not check out my website, and see if PartyEase Portishead is for you?

Or check out my 5* reviews on Facebook.  

One last note, I have used the above venue for my son's birthday in the past.  He and his friends thoroughly enjoyed it, and the host then was great too.  Maybe today's host just wasn't having a good day.  It's just that it made me think - what is it that I do that's different?  That is why I've not named the venue, or made any real hints to where it could be.   Those of you who were at the party with me today, know that our children didn't see things with adult eyes, and still had a good time.

A Few of My Favourites

Hello, it's been a while!  I hope you've enjoyed yourselves!  I've been busy with a few parties, having lots of fun and a few challenges with some interesting themes, such as Numberjacks (a children's TV programme about superhero numbers that live in a sofa) and Paddington Bear.

My parties for younger children are taking a different turn, as I have found that 3 and 4 year olds don't always want to join in party games. Some are too shy, some don't have the maturity to persevere for the whole game, some just don't want to!  It's important to me that all children have activities to keep them busy, so I have started to take along alternative activities for them to access independently. 

The 2 favourites of these seem to be my big box of coloured rice, and my homemade playdough. 


Quite a few parents have asked how these are made, so I thought I would share my tips with you.

Coloured Rice 

Coloured rice is basically rice that has been coloured.  It is really tactile, and children (and adults) love to let it run through their fingers, and have even been known to sit in it!

You need;
4 bags of rice.  (I buy mine from Lidl for 40p a bag)
4 different food colours - I use red, blue, yellow and green.
Baking Tray
Parchment / Greaseproof paper.
Mixing Bowl

Empty 1 bag of rice into the mixing bowl.  Add a couple of capfuls of food colouring.  (You may not need that much, depends on the intensity of colour you'd like.) Mix the colour until all the rice is coated.

Put the baking parchment on the baking tray.  Spread the coloured rice on the tray.

Cook in oven (temperature approx 160C for 15-20 minutes, until the colour is set.

You may want to stir it around once or twice.

Allow to cool. (This can take a while - if you want to make more than one colour =, transfer the warm rice -which feels amaaaaaazing - into another container to cool. )

Repeat with another colour.

Playdough

I love playdough!  I like to roll it as thinly as I can, then cut it into thin lines.  I'm not sure what that says about me, but it's very therapeutic!  My favourite recipe comes from Activity Village . It hasn't failed me yet...

You need;

1 cup of plain flour
1/2 cup of salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp cream of tarter.  (I can only find decent sized pots of this in Waitrose!)
1 cup of water
food colouring.  (I like to use Sugar Flair as it gives a better depth of colour. Which you can buy in Hobbycraft etc)
Vanilla Essence.  (Just to make it smell nice!)

Put the flour, salt, oil, cream of tarter and vanilla essence in a saucepan.  
Dissolve the food colouring in the water.  (if you use Sugarflair, you only need to put a little on the tip of a teaspoon handle to get a good colour.)  
Add the water to the other ingredients.
Heat the ingredients, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, until they come together to form a dough.  Do not let the dough over-cook, otherwise it becomes too dry.
Tip out onto a work top, and knead with a little extra flour to finish.

Store in an air-tight container, or wrapped in cling film.  It will keep for a couple of months if you look after it.


Don't forget to visit my FACEBOOK page for party reviews. Like my page to hear of a special one day August offer, and ready for the chance to win a party worth up to £90 in September.  

For party details, head over to 

www.partyeaseportishead.weebly.com

A Perfectly Piggy Party!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hosting a party for a 3yr old girl who loves Peppa Pig.  As requested by L's mother, and also taking into account the young age of the children attending, the party became more craft and activity focussed.

As those who follow my blog may know, I tend to follow themes loosely rather than going for an all out theme.  This is due to costs, availability of resources and an understanding that not all guests like the same thing.  Many parents choose to use decorations to emphasise a theme, which is great as it brightens up the venue and gives the party child their focus. 

Obviously this is done in consultation with the client, who can request certain activities or games to their child or their vision of the party.  My role is to facilitate this, keep the children entertained and make sure the children enjoy themselves.  I also hope to take the pressure away from the parents.  This was reflected at the party yesterday when the client told me she had never been so relaxed before hosting a party. (Her sister also told me she'd never seen her this relaxed before a party too!)

The activities:

1) Welcome activity.  The children decorated the tablecloth with the crayons and stickers I supplied.

2) Make pig face biscuits.



3) Make pig masks using paper plates.

4) Decorate their party bags.










5) A box of Rainbow Rice (with hidden pigs) to play with.

The Games:

1) Music Muddy Puddles (like Musical Islands)

2) Peppa Pig Treasure Hunt

3) Pass the Parcel

The Story:

10 Green Bottles by Abigail Voss.  (Available here on Amazon.)  (This is a great story by a Portishead Author, and is fab for joining in and learning numbers.)


The 14 children were kept happily occupied, with supportive parents who enjoyed joining in. 

Their party tea was packed in individual coloured paper lunch bags with Peppa Pig detail on them.  I particularly liked the idea of putting individual jellies into plastic shot glasses.  (I'm going to borrow that one for my children's next party!)  

We sang Happy Birthday to L, and she blew out the candles on her beautiful chocolate Peppa Pig cake. 

Packing up was quick and efficient.  (I bring my own bin bags, and was massively helped by the other adults.)

This was a fun party to do.  Craft parties can provide a calm but busy atmosphere, and make sure that everyone has something extra to take home too.

It was a fun afternoon for all.


(Craft Parties are priced the same as regular parties, see my website for package prices.)

Let them Eat Cake! (and other party food ideas.)

I asked on my Facebook page what people liked to offer for a party tea.  There weren't many suggestions, so you'll have to put up with the party teas that I've seen.  Sorry!

So, here are the answers from those who answered my facebook page - thanks Abi and Jennylee for your interaction. :-)

• Chopped cucumber, baby tomatoes, cheese cubes, cheesy puffs and hula hoops, party rings, sandwiches / pizza slices / mini bagels, cakes. 😛

  
  
• Fairy bread, party sausage rolls, cocktail frankfurts, fruit platter (grapes, orange, kiwi fruit, watermelon are usually the favourites here), cheese cubes, cabana, cucumber and baby tomatoes

For those wondering, Fairy Bread is pictured below - sliced bread, buttered and covered with sprinkles.

I had to use Google to find out what fairy bread was...

My research suggests that Cabana is a Polish Sausage.  (Jennylee, if you read this, then please correct me if necessary.)

What would I suggest?  Well, for my son's birthday, we supplied the following:

Not the party tea we supplied, but you get the idea...

Cheese / Ham sandwiches.  (I buy a loaf of brown and a loaf of white, and use a slice of each to make two-tone sandwiches.) Sausage Rolls, Cocktail Sausages, Cucumber Sticks, Cherry Tomatoes, pizza slices,  crisps (cheesy puffs, and some other type, like Hula Hoops,) Chocolate finger biscuits, party rings (because they remind me of parties from my childhood,) mini muffins,slices of fresh apple. 

This was enough to serve 30 children (and hungry parents who tucked in once the children had finished), and worked out to be quite cheap. 

Pros - everything is done in advance, nothing needs cooking or heating up at the venue.  There's a choice, so most children will eat AT LEAST something!

Cons - preparation - making the sandwiches, having everything ready on plates, buying a variety of items. The potential for waste.

What else have we experienced?

Takeaway Pizza.

This was the easiest option ever!  Phone up your local Pizza Place.  Order enough pizza for lots of hungry children, arrange to have it delivered at the desired time.

Pros - how easy is this?  You just need some paper towel to serve it on, and off you go!  Most children LOVE pizza.

Cons - Not ALL children love pizza. Deliveries aren't always on time.  (When my son attended a party where this was done, the delivery was 30 minutes late, and the hired entertainment didn't entertain while they were waiting!)  You need to think carefully about how  much to order, to make sure there's enough for everyone.  Can work out expensive.

Fishfingers/chicken nuggets and Chips.

Quite a few parties are now happening over lunchtime.  (My preferred time is 11am-1pm, as it does encompass lunchtime, so children are hungry.)  It's quite nice for them to have a meal which fills them up.  This option works well for that.

Pros - child friendly food.  Easy to prepare in large numbers.  Fills children up.  Not too costly - just remember the ketchup!

Cons - Logistics.  You need to have a friendly relative who can cook everything at home and transport to venue as speedily as possible, or else a venue which has cooking facilities.  You need to consider health and safety with moving hot tins/trays around.  The washing up!

Lunchboxes

This option is becoming more popular.  Buy a job-lot of cardboard lunchboxes, pack a lunch in them, pop them on the table (or floor, depending where you'd like to eat) and let the children unpack and eat!

Pros - Everything is organised, less possibility of over-catering, less mess. Easy to prepare.

Cons - These boxes take up quite a bit of space once assembled - with everything else you may transport for a party (unless you've booked an amazing party host, like er... PartyEase Portishead) you need to consider this.  Lots of rubbish - 30 boxes?  An outlay of about 30p per box, before you put anything in it...

I think that the most important thing to remember is that it doesn't have to be elaborate.  Children are hungry, and so long as they like it, they will eat it!

I would love to hear of any other party food suggestions you may have.  Please leave a comment below.

Thanks.

(By the way... Messy Play went really well. Thanks to those who attended.  Photos can be found on Facebook.)

Loving Local Links

I've only lived in Portishead for 11 years.  I'm not a 'Posset' and I doubt I ever will be.  

However, Portishead is home.  It has beautiful views, friendly people and businesses who are supportive and wish to make links with others.  It feels great to see companies retweet my tweets (@PartyEaseP if you're interested.)

Yesterday I met with Clare from So-Sublime Stationery.  Clare and her sister share a passion for stationery, and I saw the light in Clare's eyes as she described her favourite childhood shop in Park Street, and rolls of stickers where you could pick up just a few for 5 or 10p. It reminded me of a shop where I grew up and how I used to do the same thing.  So Sublime Stationery has grown from that passion into a business where you can buy personalised notebooks for numerous occasions, and accessories to go with them.

I am now delighted to be able to announce that PartyEase Portishead has teamed up with So Sublime to offer beautiful personalised notebooks and bookmarks as an alternative to traditional party bags.  These beautiful A7 sized notebooks will come in a gift bag, with each child's name printed on the front.  The paper is of fantastic quality and the package is a gift that most boys and girls would love. 

Due to the bespoke nature of the product,  (Imagine 30 notebooks, with a different name printed on each one) I have added a new package, called PREMIUM PLUS. This will give you all the joy of a PartyEase Party, but with the added extra of having this fabulous gift, for just £175.  

There are many items for all ages on their website.  Please take a look and keep it local!

On top of this, at the moment, this is an exclusive, as these products are not yet available on the so sublime website.  (I believe they are being added this week...)

I would also like to recommend Heaven Cakes for birthday cakes.

This may be a bit of a personal recommendation.  I have know Sam for years, through our connection running North Weston Brownies, and have heard from the beginning the passion for baking, the finding of suitable premises, the cold mornings selling on Portishead Market, the opening...  Not only do they do the best pancakes with maple syrup ever, but their celebration cakes are fantastic!  I speak from personal experience, as Heaven on the Hill has made cakes for my husband's 40th birthday, a special occaision for my daughter, my dad and my uncle's 80th birthday cake and my parent's golden wedding anniversary cake. When I have made decorated cakes, Sam and Vicky have always been friendly and open with advice to help me achieve what I plan to, and knowing that I can buy decorating supplies from them too has been really convenient. Remember, that if you buy a bespoke cake, you need to pay appropriately for the HOURS that go in to creating it, and make sure you order in plenty of time.

Lastly, for Birthday presents, why not look at Flutterbies?

Hidden just off Portishead High Street, this is a fantastic shop full of quality toys (think Melissa and Doug toys) for all budgets.  My children love the wooden toys, the pick and mix sweets and the pocket money/stocking fillers there.  There is a great selection of books, many available at 2 for £5 - perfect to have in case of emergency...  Lisa who owns the shop is ready with suggestions and advice too.  An added bonus is that as Christmas approaches, you may wish to buy a bigger, more expensive toy for your son/daughter.  You are able to reserve the item and then pay in instalments, making the season easier to budget for.  (It also has the added bonus of being next door to Shanicatti Shakes who serve fantastic ice cream sundaes, milkshakes and smoothies (as well as sandwiches, tea and coffee...)

There are many great places in Portishead which are great for party items and children's gifts.  I haven't even started on the labyrinth which is Morgan and Westley...   I no longer search for items there, I just ask them if they have what I'm looking for, from coloured card to beetle drive cards (don't ask!). So far, I haven't managed to catch them out with anything paper and pen-wise they don't stock.  I'll keep trying... They have everything!!!

I'd love to know what your favourite shops are in Portishead.  Please leave a comment to let me know, and let's keep it local. 

You don't want PartyEase? Here's something to remember.

Wouldn't the world be a boring place if everyone wanted the same kind of party? Different types of party are what makes the excitement for the guests.  What games will they play?  Will there be a magician?  Will there be party bags? What will they eat?

My son is in a class with 25 other four and five year olds.  They all share a sense of excitement and enthusiasm, and a growing awareness of the importance of a birthday party at a young age.  Each invite is studied with curiosity and questions about the type of party it's going to be.

Since September, he has attended parties with magicians, a Star Wars themed party, Soft play parties, and traditional parties (one of which, was a PartyEase one...) Each party had a common denominator - SIMPLICITY.

As PARTYEASE grows, I have had some fabulous conversations with parents - those who have chosen to use our service, and those who haven't.  All parents have a common denominator too - they want their children to have a fantastic and memorable party. I'm the same.  I want my child to be smiling, genuinely happy, with a residue of excitement, but slightly tired by the end of his party.  As parents, we seem to have an impression that our children have high expectations of us and their parties, and it is important that we GET IT RIGHT!

I'm going to share a secret with you.

Parties do not need to be elaborate.  Children want to be entertained, they want to be involved, they want the opportunity to be active, but also to have a quiet space to retreat to if they need to. 

This is why PARTYEASE works.  The concept is simple, children are encouraged, but NEVER forced to join in, they are kept active, they have fun, they have a dedicated party host who works hard to build a relationship with them, and continuously interacts with them during the party.  (and keeps going until the child is collected.)

Basically, what I'm saying is that if you choose not to use PARTYEASE, remember to keep it simple, but keep the children occupied with lots of fun.

However, by the time you've thought of the food, prizes, party bags, venue, cake, tea and coffee for the parents who stay, decorating the hall, clearing up afterwards etc, the thought of keeping 30 five year olds interested might be a step too far... don't worry, I'm still here ready to help!

http://partyeaseportishead.weebly.com

rachieparties@gmail.com

A few questions and a few answers

It's been a few months since I set up PartyEase Portishead. I've been so touched by the support I've received from friends, and also from those who think it's important to support new businesses.  My brand is now becoming more known around the area, and I am getting increased traffic to my website, facebook page and to my email account. However, there are a few questions/statements I'd like to answer.

Why don't you include food and cakes in your package?

There are two reasons for this.  

Firstly, I am a mum of a 3 yr old and 5 yr old.  Our house is busy, fun and our home.  If I were to supply party food, I would need to have my premises inspected, and hygiene rated.  Now, my house is clean (most of the time) and hygienic, but we all have moments, and I don't want that responsibility.  

Secondly, party food is quite a personal choice.  I prefer a traditional type tea - sandwiches, crisps, cakes, carrot/cucumber sticks, sausage rolls, cakes, biscuits etc.  That's my choice. (and  my children's - last year, my son sat me down to write a list of what food he wanted at his party, and basically chose all of the above.)
At recent parties we've attended, party food has included a pizza delivery, fishfingers and chips, chicken nuggets and chips, a selection of nibbles including fruit and tubes of fromage frais, bowls of sweets...  People like different things.  I am happy to advise, recommend caterers, etc, but the food is your choice.

Children's parties aren't difficult...

They don't need to be difficult.  Children just want to be entertained, active and able to join in - sometimes with adult support, sometimes independently. 
But you know what?  Some people do find it difficult to be with 30 young children.  I don't find it difficult, but that's because I trained as a teacher, and have spent so much time working in child-based settings.  Put me in a hospital as a nurse, or in a garage as a mechanic - I wouldn't have a clue!  We all have our talents, and they are diverse.  It makes life interesting.
Also, we're all busy people.  I'm very fortunate in that I could choose to be at home with my children, and build my business around them.  Others make the decision to work, or do not have a choice in the matter.  All choices are valid and should be respected.  Planning a party does take time and effort.  Sourcing fun gifts, wrapping the pass the parcel, compiling the gift bags, putting together playlists... I'm here to provide a service to those who want me to.
Lastly, some parents would like to be able to take a step back, join in with their children and enjoy their day with them.  With my entertaining the children, that is possible.  You can join in, but you will be able to take time to savour the party with your child.  That's important.

Children over 8 aren't interested in large parties or party games.

Really?  I run a brownie pack, with girls aged between 7-10yrs old.  We do have the odd party night.  They love the games.  I adapt them for older children - make them a little more grown up, challenging, silly, maybe a touch more responsibility for them...  They always go home with big smiles on their faces.  
Traditional parties don't have to be large.  I can't remember having more than 10 guests at my parties (though my mother may beg to differ...) and we played plenty of games.  Although my packages start with prices for 20 children, I am happy to discuss how I can accommodate smaller parties, and will develop games suited to them, in discussion with you.

What about your prices?

I cover that in another blog post here. However, I suggest you search other entertainers, and see what they include in their packages.  You will find that my prices are very competitive.  You may also find a party package that you prefer.  That's ok.  Again, the world is diverse, what I offer suits many, but not all.  Enjoy your party! :)

I am passionate about providing quality children's parties, with transparent pricing, and a service which children and parents alike will enjoy.  I love parties, and all the reviews I've received are 5* reviews.  You can find them on my FACEBOOK page.

If you would like to find out more, then please visit my website  or feel free to contact me at rachieparties@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.