Posts Tagged ‘Surrey’
Thursday, February 14th, 2013
If your child is into a particular character there is always lots of party ware you can buy to complement your chosen theme, but it can work out expensive and can be a bit overwhelming to have all themed merchandise at a party. I am privileged to be able to see many clever ideas that parents come up with to theme their parties without breaking the bank. Here are some of my favourites.
Balloons and streamers can instantly brighten a room and if you pick them out in the colours of your chosen theme (i.e Pink and Purple for Princesses, red and black for pirates, red and blue for Spiderman …) you can instantly accent your theme cost effectively. I love this balloon bunting that I saw at an outdoor Princess party I did last year.
Fab balloon bunting
These baloons and streamers were themed in the colours used in the Ben & Holly logo for a party of the same theme. It turned a boring hatch into a focal point at this party and you could easily change the colours to match your theme. For example would look great in red and blue for a Spiderman or Superhero party.
Pretty baloons and streamers
I always love seeing some of the children’s toys used as decoration. This row of princess slippers was a lovely touch at a Princess party.
Cinderella shoes
And these lovely Princess Hats are great fro the children to wear at the party and then take home. They are made out of a simple party hat with 2 lengths of fabric stapled on – easy but very effective.
Princess Hats
At my son’s Cars party a couple of years ago we placed some of his Cars toys and road signs down the centre of the table and made a racetrack table runner out of black paper and white paint. Simple but effective.
Race track runner
All of these ideas can be achieved on a budget and easily mixed in with a few pieces of more expensive themed party ware. Would love to hear of any of your ideas.
Tags:Active, art and craft, balloons, Berkshire, Boy's Parties, children, Children's, Children's Party, craft, creative, decorations, family, Fun, Hampshire, money saving tips, Party, Surrey, Themed Party
Posted in Children's Party - General, Party Themes | 2 Comments »
Monday, February 11th, 2013
Take a group of excited children, mix with lots of party food and what is the result? Even more excitable children! The energy that children have at parties is incredible and to be admired but it is easy for this energy, when mixed with party treats, to turn a birthday party out of control unless you are well prepared and know how to manage the energy effectively. Here are my top tips for using this energy so that everyone has a great time.
1)One of the main reasons that energy can turn into challenging behaviour is boredom. It is easy to assume that putting a few toys out and allowing the children just to play will be enough at a party. Although this may be fine for 15 mins or so children (particularly small children) will start to get bored and look for other things to do. Make sure you have a fair few activities planned, whether this be some craft activities and/or some party games.
2)Taking turns – although obviously learning to take turns is all part of growing up, think about the amount of children you have at the party and how long it will take for them all to have a turn at say Pin the tail on the Donkey or at hitting a Pinata. With these activities I would say they work best up to 15 children but if you have more you could have two on the go or just have another activity planned that the children can do whilst waiting for their turn.
3)Elimination Games – Games like Musical Statues are perennial favourites but for very small children the concept of being “out” is a hard one to comprehend and you may find that elimination games can quickly descend into chaos as children reappear into the game. And let’s face it being out is pretty boring anyway. You can easily adapt games like musical statues so that no-one has to be out. Maybe when they freeze you could give the children a task to complete like who can stand on one leg the longest or who can pull the funniest face, and give a little prize each round (even just a sticker) to the best one. Everyone can still join in and be having lots of fun.
4)Too many distractions – Small children find it hard to concentrate on games if there are lots of other things around so put toys and craft activities away before starting games so that you have the children’s full attention.
5)Hire a professional – If the thought of managing all that energy is giving you palpatations there are plenty of party entertainers who have lots of experience in keeping little ones engaged and having a good time. They will easily spot when activities need to be changed, when more active or more quiet games are required and generally keep the party moving so that no-one gets bored. If you do hire an entertainer then do listen to their advice about potential distractions etc.
I hope the above tips are useful and help you to create a magical party for your little one.
Tags:Active, Berkshire, Boy's Parties, children, Children's, Children's Party, family, Fun, Hampshire, Party, pre school, Surrey, Themed Party, toddlers, under 5's
Posted in Children's Party - General | No Comments »
Thursday, February 7th, 2013
Themed Parties are all the rage and every week I am entertaining at many different themes. Here are a few simple tips to help you continue the theme with food, decorations etc that won’t break the bank and are simple to do.
Dressing up can all add to the theme
Costumes – If you want guests to dress up make sure you put this on the invitations. I have entertained at parties where guests weren’t sure and children can get very upset if they turn up in normal clothes when all their friends are dressed up. Equally some children won’t want to dress up – but they can still join in the fun of a themed party.
Food – Two words – cookie cutters! They are available in so many different shapes these days and can be used obviously to make delicious biscuits. However they are great for cutting out sandwiches too and can make the sandwiches more appealing for little ones to eat. Fruit and Veg can also be made more appetising by creating faces, making cars out of apples, grapes and cocktail sticks or pirate boats out of orange skins and jelly with a paper sail. Finally cakes – there are a wide variety of cake toppers, edible stickers and flags that can be added to cupcakes easily to enhance your theme.
Car Sandwiches - cookie cutters are great to add theming details
Decorations and Tableware – There are vast amounts of party decorations and tableware to buy in all sorts of themes. To save money try mixing a few themed items with plain coloured decorations that match a colour in your theme. If you are having party boxes for the food these can easily be decorated with stickers to match your theme, a great job that the birthday child can get involved with. The internet and in particular Pinterest can be a great resource for finding imaginative ideas. Take a look at
my Pinterest boards for some inspiration for many different themes
Party Bags – Again the choice can be overwhelming these days. Sometimes a well chosen item can be a better idea than lots of little things. Look out for books, stationery sets or craft sets in your chosen theme at discount stores and on-line and don’t be afraid to think out of the box – a small seed sowing kit at a nursery rhyme or hungry caterpillar party, a Christmas decoration for a December birthday, a cupcake baking kit for a Hello Kitty party etc will all be used long after the party has ended.
Have fun!
Tags:Active, Berkshire, Boy's Parties, Cakes, children, Children's, Children's Party, costumes, creative, decorations, family, fancy dress, Fun, Hampshire, money saving tips, Party, Surrey, Themed Party
Posted in Children's Party - General, Party Themes | No Comments »
Monday, February 4th, 2013
This weeks 5 minutes is with Nicky Woodhatch, the lovely lady who runs Mummas & Beans – a baby, toddler and parent friendly cafe in Godalming, Surrey. I only wish it had been around when my son was smaller. I have had the pleasure to running my Active Adventures classes at Mummas since last April and have found Nicky to be very supportive of every business that comes into contact with Mummas. Here is why and how she set up her business.
Mummas & Beans - a haven for Mums and Babies/Toddlers
Tell us a little bit about how you started your business up? (i.e. when and why?) I started teaching Baby Massage classes over 5 years ago, and slowly built them up to regular and busy classes in Guidlford and Godalming, 2 years ago I started Antenatal Classes (Daisy Birthing) and again these really took off, and I was regularly hiring venues in Guidlford, Godalming and Cranleigh…I had been interested in opening my own studio since approx 2009, but took the plunge in late 2011. I really wanted, not only a great studio space, but somewhere mums could meet up for coffee in an environment that was truly child friendly. Thus Mummas and Beans was born!!
How does a typical week go? I am at M&B every day, I teach 4 classes a week still, but spend most of my time, organising the admin and marketing etc that goes on behind the scenes, seems a never ending job, with most of it being done when the kids go to bed at 7!
What are your ambitions for the business? I am still in the very early days, but ultimately I would like to move to bigger premises, we are frequently jammed to the rafters!
What are the best and worst aspects of the job? I love being my own boss, and working in Mummas is a great place, always someone to chat to and a baby to cuddle (hence getting pregnant with number 3, broodiness too over lol!), worst aspects are the fact that I run it on my own, although I have an amazing team working with me, it is hard sometimes to feel the pressure and stress on my own!
If you could have any famous person as a client who would you like to have? Cherry Healey (met her on a CPD day for Daisy Birthing), or Davina McCall..
Children play while Mum or Dad enjoy a coffee
Hundreds, far too many to name!! Teaching our Daisy Birthing classes, and a woman comes back with a totally amazing birth story, she may not have had the most natural/active birth but a positive birth, she has felt in control and empowered and prepared!! Very humbling…
What would your one bit of advice be for anyone starting up a small business? Do your research, do your business plan, and expect it to be tough but so rewarding!!
For more details on Mummas & Beans visit their website or Facebook page
Tags:babies, baby cafe, children, Children's, family, food, Godalming, Party, pre school, Surrey, toddler cafe, toddlers, under 5's
Posted in 5 minutes with ...... | No Comments »
Friday, February 1st, 2013
2012 was a busy year for me. As well as a full schedule of parties I expanded my business into classes for under 5′s and also doing lots more holiday events. All this amongst the usual demands of being a parent, running a home etc. By the end of 2012 I felt I had lost my way a bit and all I was doing was working, and although I love my work that is not a healthy situation for anyone. So I made a sort of resolution for 2013, that I would start putting aside some time for me, and knowing how work can so easily creep up and steal any “me time” I knew I would have to have a regular slot where I would be forced to do something just for me.
About this time I saw that a friend was starting up a group called Crafts & Coffee at a local church. I love the crafts I do with the kids at parties and workshops but had never really got into making “grown up” things, it all looked a bit precise and complicated. But I decided to go along with the thought that if anything I would be able to sit down, have a coffee and a nice chat.
Handwarmer
Felt brooch
Needle holder
Well they sucked me in! First session I embroidered a buckwheat handwarmer, in session 3 I made a felt needle holder which then inspired me to make a felt flower brooch (pictorial evidence below). In session 2 I even learnt to crochet (very cackhandedly at first, but last night I managed to complete a round, slightly uneven one but a round all the same). I absolutely love it. When I am mucking around with some yarn or felt I feel extremely relaxed (ok there are a few expletives when I crochet but relaxed most of the time). My ambition is to crochet a cushion or a tub and whilst it may take some time it is a goal I look forward to completing.
Crafts and Coffee is run by Jo and Karey, 2 mums who enjoy crafting. They are very patient with beginners but equally there are more experienced crafters who also come along, who are willing to share tips, learn a new skill or get on with their own projects. It really is open to all levels and all ages. At the moment we are trying a different craft each week to see where interests lie. The group also has a creche so Mums with under 5′s can have an hour off whilst the children enjoy some lovely playtime.
The group runs Mondays in term time from 10 -11 at St Nicholas Church, Guildford. Do have a look at their great Facebook page and do pop along – if I can do it anyone can.
Tags:craft, Crafts, creative, Crochet, Embroidery, Felt, Fun, Guildford, pre school, Surrey, under 5's
Posted in Reviews | No Comments »
Monday, October 15th, 2012
This weeks 5 mins with is from Ronnie Burgess who runs On Cloud Nine Treatments – an exclusive and luxurious beauty and massage retreat in Godalming, Surrey, offering treatments and bespoke products to both women and men. Here is why she started her business up.
Tell us a little bit about how you started your business up? (I.e. when and why?)
I ran a mobile massage and beauty business for over 15 years then one day a conversation with a friend who is an osteopath suggested I may want to open my own salon. I’d thought about it over the years but never felt ready: until that day my friend and I spoke. Something clicked! Of course I was ready, and the rest as they say, is history!
Everything about On Cloud Nine Treatments is tailored towards creating a friendly, spa-like atmosphere. Unlike some salons, we have a vast range of holistic therapies plus over 30 different massages; not simply the standard beauty treatments, which I think makes the retreat more appealing and approachable to the older demographic too. People often pop in for a quick chat, and we’re always getting a lot of walk ins who after just one visit turn into regulars.
When I was a mobile therapist I noticed a very definite niche in the market…I never wanted my retreat to be like others; I dreamed of it being a laid-back retreat where we care about our clients and take the time to get to know them and their lives. I think I can safely say after less than one year of being open, I have fulfilled a dream…but we never rest on our laurels…
How does a typical week go?
In this business the aspect I love about it the most is there is no ‘typical’ week. Each day changes from one hour to the next…nothing can be predicted. Apart from the obvious (pampering clients) my week has to incorporate sooo much! Most weeks I don’t get a day off…you have to be a workaholic to do this! There’s advertising and promotions to arrange. Accounts and salaries to sort; emails to answer; blogs and newsletters to keep on top of and stock to buy. One minute you can be treating a client to a relaxing massage, the next cleaning a wax pot and sterilizing manicure equipment and making sure your staff know what a new promotion entails. It never ends…and I love it!
What are your ambitions for the business?
I am always looking for new treatments we can bring onboard and train in. At the moment all our new staff are training in all aspects of the business so that we can all do everything; which is so important as we are getting busier.
Short term my goals are to grow the business and become the number one beauty salon in our area.
Long term we have plans to take OC9T to another level; expanding to become a day spa (mansion house style!) with relaxation rooms where after a treatment the client can lie in a twinkly room and chill before entering into the real world once more. Where you are treated to every therapy you can think of at reasonable prices; i also think it important never to lose sight of who is the most vital person in any business: the client. I will, however big we get, never forget why i started On Cloud Nine Treatments – to provide pampering that is out of this world!
What are the best and worst aspects of the job?
This is a quick answer: worst is definitely firing staff. It’s never undertaken for no good reason but it’s still sad.
As for the best aspect; that’s the interaction with some lovely and amazing clients and therapists, who after so many years in this industry, still make you realize there is no better job than this one. Seeing and hearing someone feel relaxed and beautiful and special is a wonderful feeling and to know it’s because of you or your team is incredible.
If you could have any famous person as a client who would you like to have?
Odd one I know, but it has to be Queen Victoria. She was a strong, intelligent lady who had a solitary upbringing; married her soul mate and stood her ground as the longest reigning monarch of Britain. I admire her and think she’d impart some very useful advice and knowledge. Maybe she’d like a spray tan!
Have you had any “Eureka” moments in your business or any moments when you realise exactly why this is what you should be doing as a job?
Gosh these happen a fair bit (I realize that sounds cocky and I don’t mean it to) like when a lady brings her newborn baby in to see us after we’ve used reflexology to encourage her labour to begin. But one moment that always springs to mind…a lady came in a few months after we had opened and bought me a huge, expensive bunch of flowers and a lovely card. She hugged me and thanked me for a shiatsu massage I had given her on our opening day months before. I remembered her while she was explaining that after her taster treatment she had managed to come off all painkillers for the bad neck and back problem she had. Her doctor was very happy and told her to thank me; which was lovely too. She comes in now for manicures and I’m happy to report her back and neck are still pain free.
What would your one bit of advice be for anyone starting up a small business?
Difficult to narrow it down to only one bit of advice; but I think up there would be spend wisely when setting up your new venture and get as much money as you can beforehand because it costs much more than you ever think. It doesn’t matter how good the business plan is or your accounts and financial forecasts are it’ll cost more as little things come up that you need to spend your hard-earned money on. As I always say; it takes money to make money!
For more info please visit Ronnie’s website – On Cloud Nine Treatments
Tags:beauty, family, Godalming, pamper, small business, Surrey, therapy, treatments, Weddings
Posted in 5 minutes with ...... | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 11th, 2012
The social media site Twitter has been great for my business. I have made many valuable connections and also people who I would call “friends”. One such great connection came when I started following Enchanted Wood Toys. This has been a business that I have used with and for my son (particularly the Shalford store which was always a good bribe that we would stop off there on the way back home). So I sent them a cheeky tweet saying if they ever needed someone for events I was their girl. To my surprise Jane, the lovely owner, wanted to talk and soon we had planned a series of “Pop Up Adventures” at their Farnham and Haslemere stores. There was one each for Jubilee and Fathers Day and then onto some very popular summer events – A Beach Party where we decorated pebbles and even had a sandpit in store for sandplay, and then a lovely Knights & Princess party to conclude the holidays.
-
-
Beach party dancing
-
-
A beach in a toy shop
-
-
Pebble painting
-
-
Knights & Princesses & a Singing Frog!
-
-
Designing our own Coat of Arms
-
-
We can have an adventure anywhere.
The sessions were great fun. At both stores we transformed an area into a workshop space. Crafts were set up ready to go on play tables whilst in another area we had a story and then danced and played with the various ideas in the stories. The children had lots of fun and I know the parents appreciated the free events, and also the chance to maybe complete a few errands such a buying presents for the next few birthday parties while they were there.
Enchanted Wood Toys staff were fantastic at welcoming everyone to the events and really got into the spirit of the events by dressing up and in not minding when they had lots of sand to clear up after the beach party! Their enthusiasm really created a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere for the children and their parents.
We have many more pop-up adventures coming up in Farnham and Haslemere starting with Halloween/Autumn sessions next week and then continuing on with Diwali and Christmas in November. Please view our events page for more details and if you would like to reserve a space do drop me an email – joanne@actoneadventures.co.uk
For more details on Enchanted Wood Toys do visit their website or follow them on Twitter – @EWToys
Tags:Active, art, art and craft, children, Children's, Children's Party, craft, creative, dance, drama, family, Fun, Party, Pop-Up, Shop, Surrey, Themed Party, toddlers, under 5's
Posted in Family Fun, Under 5's activities | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
So you’ve phoned up, booked your slot and the day has arrived to take your child and yourself along to your first pre school activity class. What should you expect?
Firstly try to be on time or even a little early if you can to your first session at least. I know this can be easier said than done, but for a small child walking in to a new space, meeting a new adult and several other children can be very daunting. Getting to the venue a bit early gives your child a chance to explore the space, get to know the teacher and the teacher can also get to know your child’s character a little which will help with how they will interact during the class. You are also more likely to feel relaxed if you haven’t had to rush to get to the class.
Secondly, don’t expect at first for your child to join in or focus for the whole way through. Most pre school classes are 30 – 45 minutes in length. This is a long time for an under 5 to concentrate. To begin with they may not always stay still when they are supposed to or move around when everyone else is doing so, but remember this is a new experience for them, they are yet to learn the etiquette of a class so let them find their feet quite literally. As the weeks go on they will start to get familiar with the routine of that particular class (and every good pre school class will have a routine). As long as they seem happy at the class that is the main priority at first. Some children may not join in at all at first, they may prefer to sit and watch. I had a child once that sat and watched for several weeks and then suddenly stood up and joined in every aspect of the class perfectly. Her Mum said she had been re-enacting the class at home for weeks. She had obviously just been taking everything in and wanted to feel confident before stepping out in class. So be patient and your little one will soon start to respond to the many things taught such as sharing, turn taking, listening and copying the activities taught.
Thirdly expect to join in. In 99% of classes I have taught for this age group the children respond better if parents/carers actively join in with their child and this is even more important the younger the child is. You may feel a little silly to begin with but if everyone is doing the same no one will be looking at how good your movement skills are or listening to your singing. By joining in you are saying to your child “This is fun and it’s OK to join in.” The other thing that tends to happen if grown-ups don’t join in is that we have a tendency to chat and that can be very distracting to the children in the class. So do join in and have fun and remember this is an excellent opportunity to have one on one playtime with your child away from the piles of washing, the emails that need answering and all the other distractions that daily life can bring to stop us having fun with our kids.
Finally, your child will have good weeks and bad weeks – we all do. There will be some weeks when your child may seem to have no focus at all and others where they join in with every activity. Many things can affect this – how much sleep they have had, when they last ate, what other activities they have done that day etc so don’t be disappointed if they have a bad week. I know some parents feel embarassed if their child hasn’t joined in as much but the teacher will not be worried and will have numerous methods of encouraging the child to join in.
Taking your child to pre school classes can have many benefits – socially, developmentally and in preparing them for the structure of school itself. I hope the above is helpful in making the most out the lovely pre school classes you can attend with your little one.
For more information of Act One Adventures classes for Under 5′s please click here
Tags:Active, art, art and craft, Berkshire, children, Children's, craft, creative, dance, drama, family, Fun, Hampshire, pre school, pre school classes, Surrey, toddlers, under 5's
Posted in Under 5's activities | No Comments »
Thursday, September 20th, 2012
When I was pregnant with my son I had this idyllic idea that we would spend long lazy afternoons doing arts and crafts on the dining room table making lovely cards and pictures for all our family. The reality was a little different. My first attempt at arts and crafts was on a boiling hot day. I stripped him down to just a nappy and we found a shady spot and gave finger painting a go. It was just as well we were outside as very little paint went on the paper. The whole creative experience lasted about 5 mins before he got bored and all in all it probably took me about half an hour to prepare and tidy up our first creative outing.
Does this sound familiar? Or does this scenario put you off art and craft at home with your under 5? The mess, the preparation and clearing up for what can keep your little one amused for quite a short time.
At Crafty Adventures all the mess, preparation and clearing up is taken care of. We have around 3 activities out for the children to try and they can go between each one as much as they like. We quite often end the session with either a dance or song about what we have made, a parade or a story and then you can take home the creations you want to.
There is always a paint activity to try with a variety of implements to paint with. So far we have created handprint giraffes and elephants, created multi patterned red, white and blue paintings for the jubilee, painted with balls and toy cars for Fathers Day and made some very colourful rainbow finger and hand prints. Our theme this term is weather so we will be doing wind painting with straws and a hairdryer, handprint suns etc.
We also have a mini make on offer each week. This will be something the children can take home and use. For the Jubilee we made decorative plates and for Fathers Day DAD photoframes and tie bookmarks, Giraffe paper bag puppets and last week rainbow swirlers which the children danced and swirled beautifully with.
Finally there is always some sort of skill activity e.g. sticking, scissor skills, peeling. We have made rainbow collages, parrot feather pictures, decorated crowns etc.
There are lots more crafty adventures planned at Mummas & Beans Godalming. They take place on a Wednesday morning 10.45 – 11.45am and cost just £5. They are suitable for ages 1-5 years although smaller children will need more parental assistance. For our weekly plan please visit our session page where you can also email us to reserve a space.
Tags:art, art and craft, babies, Berkshire, children, Children's, craft, creative, dance, decorations, drama, family, Fun, Hampshire, mini makes, paint, painting, pre school, Surrey, Themed Party, toddlers, under 5's
Posted in Under 5's activities | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 18th, 2012
The birthday boy
I suppose when you have a Mum who is a party entertainer, planning your own birthday party is going to be a big deal. Well it certainly is for my son who has been planning his 6th Birthday Star Wars party even before we had finished the last piece of cake from his 5th Birthday.
Star Wars as a theme has been very popular this year, I’m sure helped by the 3D release at cinemas in February. It is a great theme as all the children can work together to defeat Darth Vader through a series of tasks and themed games.
At our Star Wars party the children trained as Jedi’s by completing an assault course, balancing an asteroid (an intergalatic take on the egg and spoon race), walked like Yoda and of course became masters of their light sabre by keeping a balloon aloft and learning a light sabre routine certain to stop Darth Vader in his tracks. Normally at parties it will be just me and I will assume the role of Darth Vader pretending to have tricked the children into thinking I was a Jedi all along. However my husband was able to take on the role on this day and I must say made a very convincing Vader – the kids loved him.
Defeating Darth Vader
After all that training and destroying the dark side we served up pizza, crudites, star shaped bread, mini sausages and crisps for their intergalatic feast. For desert we had fruit sabres (kebabs) and star decorated banana muffins and party rings which were suitable for a few lactose intolerant guests. Thse were all things that could be prepared ahead and just brought out at food time, which was important as I knew I wouldn’t have time once the party was in full swing to supervise food selection. The pizza we had delivered.
The party finished with Act One Adventures special version of Musical Statues and also a chase game called Darth Vader are you hungry which is a firm favourite at many of my parties. We also saw some groovy moves at the Cantina!
Beautiful and yummy cake from Yours Tastefully
The children took home Star Wars Sticker books (an absolute bargain from The Book People) and the girls, Barbie activity packs. They also had a scrummy star wars themed cakepop created by
CakePop Princess who provided a great stress free service and very popular R2D2 and Princess Leia pops. We also enjoyed a beautifully decorated traditional cake from Emma at
Yours Tastefully.
We kept decorations simple with a theme of blue, black and silver and a few personalised decorations purchased via Etsy.
It is a great theme that both boys and girls really seem to enjoy.
Tags:Active, Berkshire, birthday, birthday party, Boy's Parties, Cakes, children, Children's, Children's Party, costumes, creative, decorations, drama, family, fancy dress, Fun, Hampshire, Party, Star Wars, Surrey, Themed Party
Posted in Party Themes | No Comments »
