Our Frugal Lifestyle

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Passionate about eco-frugality. I used to party hard, clubbing my way from pay-packet to pay-packet. Never getting ahead, just getting by. Then came our much wanted baby with no savings in the bank - only an old car. Changes were made to our lifestyle and we didn't turn back. In the past 6yrs we purchased a flat, found employment, lived below our means, built an emergency fund, purchased a reliable car and saw the financial benefits of our frugal lifestyle. Our only debt is our mortgage. Our aim is to manage our cash flow wisely, pay off our home quickly and eventually work for pleasure, not necessity. Join us on our journey, share insights, tips and tricks to help us and others to get ahead while having a good time.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Let Them Eat Cake

Our Dolly turned 4 a couple of weeks ago. The party was postponed until today due to crazy weather and other activities. We invited 5 of her special friends to a indoor playground full of small balls and slides. The cost was high but our flat is too small for a bunch of active 4 year old and the weather has been rain and more rain, putting off throwing a party in our garden or in a public park.

I am not a talented cook but was determined to try and make a wished for cake for my favourite girl. We looked at You Tube cake videos and she chose a castle, even though she is REALLY into fairies. So I combined the castle with a enchanted garden to give her a princess-fairy theme. I started mixing and baking at 10:00pm and finished decorating at 4:00am! Boy was I exhausted! And then I realised I had forgotten the towers that the cones are supposed to sit on. Ah well, that's to bad...


The cake's green base is chocolate mud cake and the castle is a butter cake. The icing I made was frustratingly hard to manage in the tropical heat. It just sled off!

Throughout the year I had kept an eye out for Fairy items for her party. I found the small tinkerbell and friends dolls at half price about 9 months ago. We had also found a New packet of Fairy party hats at an op shop for $2 but forgot them at home :-(

I purchased bowls of hot chips, chicken nuggets and cold drinks for kids and adults as I wasn't allowed to bring my own food/drinks except for the B-day cake. However I snuck in a BIG fruit bowl of nectarines, plums, pears and grapes - no one said anything.

We stayed for 2 hours instead of 1, when I went to pay.. the man was very kind and only charged 1 hour per child. So once again I was lucky and grateful.

The budget was 120$ for the party, I roughly spent $130 which includes everything. A bit over budget but my little girl who is growing up so fast was thrilled to bits.

5 comments:

  1. Lovely cake, I'm sre your daughter was thrilled to bits with it :)

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  2. The cake looks great, any little person would love to receive that cake for their birthday. You put a lot of work into it well done.

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  3. Happy Birthday to the Girl!!! I bet she loved her cake, i know what you mean with icing in this weather it just slides straight off!

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  4. WOW!! That is some cake. You did a fantastic job, hoping your special girl had a happy day.

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  5. Thank you to all your kind words :-)

    I think the cake is a bit ugly. But it's kind of kitchy fun. And Dolly thought it was beautiful.

    The other 3 birthday parties had supermarket bought cakes. So I felt good I had made an effort in the midnight hour.

    The magic of being a mum.

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