WHAT I WORE: Birthday pastels

WHAT I WORE

BRETON TOP > H&M

CLUTCH > TOAST 

SOCKS > TOPSHOP 

SKIRT > BRAG VINTAGE

WOODEN NECKLACE > VINTAGE

WHITE CHUNKY SANDALS > NEW LOOK

SUNGLASSES > BEYOND RETRO

WHITE VINTAGE SLIP > BEYOND RETRO

Howdi peeps! 

Here's a little style post of my birthday outfit last week. As you can see I'm embracing the pastel trend with a little Hawaiian twist. A friend of mine (thank you Gabby!) lent me this gorgeous wooden necklace and I'm just in LOVE with it! It was the perfect accessory for our family dinner date at our favorite Mexican in Brighton, La Choza.

I've been wanting a pair of chunky white sandals for some time and unfortunately can't afford Vagabonds at the moment :( Fortunately for me though, New Look, have brought out their own range! So with birthday money in hand, I went and treated myself to a pair :) I think they will be getting a lot of wear this Summer as they go with EVERYTHING! So I'm sure you will be seeing them popping up in future outfit posts ;)

Big love,

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Molly's 5th Birthday Party

Normally, you know, I love love love organising parties. But when Molly said she wanted to have a party for her birthday this year I was filled with dread. We held a large party for Molly last year, and although it was a success, we found the whole experience quite stressful. We hired a hall for the day and Mr D and I did everything ourselves to keep costs down. Unfortunately it also meant I ended up being stuck in a tiny hot kitchen and Pete had 20 children to keep entertained for 2 hours. Molly and her friends told me they had an amazing day, but I just wish I could've seen it. The hall looked amazing and Mr D was a star,  but I was just rushing around like a loony. So much so that I, stupidly, didn't get to photograph any of the garlands, party hats, pom-pom flowers and confetti balloons I spent weeks making.  :(

This year we decided to do it differently. We decided to keep it small and invited less children (Molly had her whole nursery class and then some attend last year) and instead of hiring a hall we decided to have it at home, praying for fine weather and making use of the wonderful garden we now have. Even though Mr D was superb as a children's entertainer last year (I think he finds intellectual equality for 4-5 year olds. It's not a dig. Even HE would admit that) he wasn't keen on repeating the stress experience again this year, poor lamb. That's when Fairy Dust Events really appealed to us. 

Phone calls were made. Princesses were booked. Invites were sent.

Mercifully, the sun did come out to play when the big day came around. We. Had. SO much fun! There was...

Fairy Dust Events, based in Brighton, cater for all your children's party needs, whether your budget is large, medium or small. They have so much equipment and skills available and offer a really engaging experience for your birthday boy or girl and their guests. Just let them know what your theme and budget is and you will be amazed what they have to offer. We (Molly) opted a Cinderalla/Frozen theme which, aside from a big puddle to represent the ill fated dreams of Olaf the snowman, I thought it would be difficult to represent this on a hot summers day. The super-secret Snow Cannon put paid to that. Molly and her friends loved dancing while getting covered in layers of 'snow'. It was a little bit like a foam party. It was awesome!

I would totally recommend Fairy Dust Events to anyone thinking of hiring entertainers. They were just wonderful and took a lot of party related stress away from us. We had Toxi and Emma dressed up as Cinderella and Elsa and they were just the sweetest, nicest girls. They held the kids attention and entertained them for 2 hours like true professionals. When home time came around, Molly and her friends had the biggest smiles on their faces as well as a balloon animal/sword/banana and a slice of birthday cake to take home with them. Thank you Emma and Toxi for making Molly's birthday SO special! :) The little one hasn't stopped talking about it for days. And best of all, Mr D and I got to enjoy the party too!


Big love!

If you would like some help with your children's party please contact Fairy Dust Events. They offer everything from Fairy and Pirate parties to glitter discos and circus skills and can take care of all the little details too like favours and party bags.  You can find out more by checking out their website or simply call them on 0800 433 4618 

Our entertainers for the day... Elsa and Cinderella!

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Review: Birthday Shenanigans at La Choza

 

The lovely staff at La Choza

Skulls for children to colour in! Perfect for keeping them entertained :)

I've been keen as mustard to try out La Choza for a while now and my birthday seemed like the perfect opportunity. La Choza offers authentic Mexican street food in a colourful, fun setting in Brighton's North Laines. Take a seat in one of the booths inside or there's seating outside (providing the good old British summer doesn't put you off!). Mexican style blankets are offered to customers for when it starts to get a bit chilly.

We were unable to book a table for 7 as they only take bookings for parties of 10+ and anything less is on a 'first come, first served' basis, so when we arrived at La Choza I was a little apprehensive to whether we would get a table at all (something that you don't really want to worry about on your birthday). It was very busy on arrival and after a short wait outside we were moved to a table inside and got busy ordering drinks and perusing the menu. The food is very simple, healthy and affordable. You start off by choosing your base (tacos, burrito, quesadilla or tostadas) then your filling (slow cooked beef, pulled pork. homemade chorizo are more besides) and then finally your salsa (habernero, chipotle, green salsa or if your feeling really brave... XXXtra hot naga salsa!). All ranging from about £6.50 - £7.50.

Pulled Pork Tacos

Kiddies sized meals for the little ones

Taco flavoured kisses

Munching down on a Churros or two for dessert

To start off with we had 2 plates of nachos (£5.50 each) to share between the seven of us whilst we nattered about news and going ons. The nachos were delicious and smothered in melted cheese, refried beans, sour cream and guacamole. They didn't last very long and were quickly demolished. Everyone ordered different things for their mains but I decided to go for tacos with pan fried prawns in chilli, garlic and lime topped with habernero salsa. It was a bit of a wait for the food but we were not in any particular hurry and were quite happy trying out the Mexican style drinks that La Choza had to offer. I highly recommend the hibiscus margaritas or why not try the Michelado? A Modelo Especial (light beer) served with lime, chilli and salt. Surprisingly delicious. Several members of our group favoured the frozen Lemon & Lime margaritas.

One of the other reasons I chose La Choza is because they catered for children. Molly (our 4 year old) dined with us and she enjoyed munching down on a chicken taco from the kids menu, that was also reasonably priced at £4.50. Included in the price is a kiddie's drink and she quite happily slurped down a hibiscus frozen drink (a bit like a slushy) or two. She told me, "It's wonderful! The food is yummy and I love the skeleton above the door". For times when she got a bit restless and bored of adult conversation there were colouring-in sheets provided with a variety of Day of the Dead skulls. This certainly kept her occupied and was very happy when the staff pinned it on the wall with some skulls that had been coloured-in by other  mini-customers.

All in all, La Choza was the perfect spot for some birthday fun and much needed catch up with friends. With an affordable menu, great service and delicious drinks, it was everything I had hoped it would be and much more. A very entertaining spot for grown-ups and kids alike,  La Choza is a colourful addition to the North Laines' eclectic mix of eateries. I can't help but wonder why they weren't here before! The fact that they also do takeaway means that I can see Mexican food on the menu at Cassa Owly for some time to come.

Head to 36 Gloucester Road, Brighton for some taco treats at La Choza. Also check out their Facebook page for special offers and updates.

BRING ON THE TACOS!

AKA Hooting Miss Owl

Meerkuts enjoying a frozen lemon and lime margaritas

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