Two.

So Benjamin turned a whole TWO years old last week. With it being the end of the month and all the bills had been paid and most of the Christmas Shopping had been bought we realised we had very little money for his birthday celebrations. Luke also couldn't get any time off that week either so I was a bit deflated by it all.

But then I realised he won't be thinking miserable thoughts like I was. As long as he had a few gifts and family around to see him I'm sure he would be happy. All I needed was a bit of imagination to rustle something together.

In the morning I collected all of the presents which people had dropped off for him and piled them on the arm chair. Ben actually walked straight past these without noticing anything different, doh. We spent the day playing with his presents and waiting for family to come round in the evening for which I made a cake and put on a small buffet.

The cake was an Annie Bell recipe - Angel Cake. I just HAD to make it on the basis that the sponge mixture consisted of 12 egg whites, 375g icing sugar and 200g flour. It turned out light and fluffy and with a raspberry/marscapone centre and cream cheese/icing sugar outing it was delicious if I do say so myself. I just decorated it simply with smarties, last years candles and some ribbon I had received on a present. Et voila!

I had to use my resources when it came to the buffet and had to use what I had in the cupboards with the addition of two packs of mini birds buns £1.75 each (I think) and some 50p popcorn from Asda. The doritos and dip were from Aldi and together cost less than a pound. No-one could tell any different. I had tuna, cheese and eggs to hand for my sandwich fillings and I had two pizza's in my freezer. It just goes to show you don't need to spend loads of money on an extravagant buffet when mine didn't have a crumb left at the end of it!

I filled the floor with balloons from a big pack I bought for his first birthday and hung the same 'birthday boy' banner on the door.

We only have a two up two down house and somehow we managed to fit 13 people in the living room and all were sat down (even if they were on the floor that still counts!) Everyone went away and text me later on that night to say how wonderful the evening had been and that was the most important thing.

Happy Second Birthday my boy x