Week 17: Party Planning: on budget and following the baby steps

First, I want to apologize.  I had great expectations of blogging every day last week, but with all the extra kid stuff and Easter stuff I had going on, I just ran out of time to come up with a post every day (or even every other day).  It was so crazy last week that I showed up to my parents' house on Friday evening without a birthday gift for my neice and nephew (who's party we were having on Saturday).  Thank God for Wal-Mart.  I was able to run in and pick up a couple gifts after the neice's soccer game and everyone waited for me to wrap them so we could start the party.  Disclaimer:  that is probably the one and only time you'll ever hear me "say" what I just said. 99% of the time I can't stand WM and would rather do without than go in there, but desperate times called for desperate measures I suppose.

This week promises to have its own level of looniness.  We have something going on every night again this week.  On Saturday, we'll be heading across the state for another nephew's birthday party.  Then on Sunday, my baby girl (the middle child) will make her First Holy Communion.  Of course, there will have to be a party with a big meal included.  Now, as this falls on the weekend of my big monthly shopping trip, I'm going to attempt to make most of the party food with what I already have so I can keep May's grocery budget from being blown on the first day.  I will be feeding 14 people.  My goal is to use "real" food and do so without spending tons of money.  The exception is that I will probably end up buying a cake from the store, because it is worth it for me to spend $14.99 not to have to listen to my brother complain about having to eat homemade everything.  Of course, I will fix another dairy-free dessert so my Mom can have something too (and that will be real!).

Posts this week will include a mayo tutorial (finally), an animal cracker recipe that flopped but made some wonderful oatmeal honey cookies, recipes for curried chicken salad and a fruit salad (both of which I'm thinking will be part of Sunday's menu) and, most importantly, some pictures of my beautiful girl in her dress on her special day!  I also need to work on May's meal plan and get my grocery list ready.  As soon as that is finished, I'll post it too.