This is post one of... I am not sure how many, I just have so much to share! Post 1

Big boy's arrival

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We hired the local village hall and filled it with streamers, balloons, bunting, bows and a bouncy castle!

We had the magnificent edupet for an hour and a half of pure toddler bliss, holding and learning about a menagerie of animals, ranging from a 3 ft green iguana, python, baby barn owl, hedgehog, ducklings, chicken, tarantula to hamsters, a chinchilla, mice, rabbits and guinea pigs. They had almost the same amount again in insects, lizards, rats and gerbils. This was only half their collection too, the rest were at home! You pay per child and it is a totally hands on experience. It certainly went with the Wonder Pets theme! My husband even conquered his life long fear and touched the snake!

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Inspired by the latest Cath Kidston catalogue, which featured a Jubilee trifle, I concocted these sweet little Jubilee nests, which as soon as you crack into them, resemble an Eton mess! Hey presto - my Jubilee mess! My basket of goodies - meringue nests, squirty cream (for white), strawberries (for red) and blueberries (for blue) and your toppings.

I made chocolate crowns from a mould I bought, cheap as chips on eBay and patriotic sprinkles from Hobbycraft. I melted a bar of chocolate in the microwave for a minute and a half then set it in the fridge for a few hours. One bar made 6 crowns.

Slightly crush your blueberries with a fork to stop them rolling off the meringue. Add thinly sliced strawberries, a squirt of cream and add your topping!

Kids and adults will love them and you could make mini versions, if you chopped the top off the mini meringues you can buy in a pot. Making meringues not my strong point!

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Ok, so I have found myself spending a small fortune on our son's 3rd birthday party, which is still 2 weeks away. My birthday parties were legendary when I was young, my mother still maintains she was the first person to invent party boxes, containing the party meal in one!

Thanks to Pinterest, I now have a million and one ideas for his Wonder Pets inspired party!

A quick blast up the motorway to Hobbycraft at Cribbs Causeway earlier this evening, and we are almost set!

I have party bag favours ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, all of which I hope will result in squeals of delight from his 28 guests! 28 - good grief!

So here is the party explosion in our lounge....

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Stay tuned for the next instalment of the party preparations. I have fibre pots from B & Q to make as snack pots, artificial flower oasis for place settings and sandwich flags for superhero sandwich towers!

p.s I treated myself to a new dress for the party! That is allowed right? For all my hard work?!

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