Tag: Halloween

Review: Personalised Baker Days Letterbox Cake

Organisationally I’m quite rubbish. I used to be a project manager which forced me to be professionally organised, but at home I was and remain a shambles. This unfortunately means that gift buying is always, always, always done at the very last minute and in a bit of a panic. I was asked to try a Baker Days letterbox cake, which seems like the ideal and personalised solution to my present buying woes.

We were asked to choose a Halloween themed cake which we could personalise with our own words, though you can choose from almost any themed cake imaginable. We liked the spiderweb cake design which we customised with the words “Spooky Creepy Scary Boo!” But you could choose whatever message you wanted. It was really easy to order and was delivered within a few days, though there are various delivery options available depending on how disorganised or organised you are.

Baker Days

Our cake arrived through the letterbox in excellent condition. Tightly packed in a cute keepsake tin. The cake is presented in a box with a little packet of party balloons and blowers with a personalised greetings card. Honestly if someone sent me a little personalised cake in the post; cutely presented like this for my birthday or another occasion; I’d be delighted. It’s such a lovely looking, thoughtful gift.

We decided to share the cake between us for pudding after Sunday lunch. The cake was enough to cut into four fairly generous pieces or eight smaller bites. The sponge was light and the icing was sweet but not too thick. It was a nice slice of cake. The cake we had was 5 inches in diameter; larger cakes are available and you can also choose chocolate or fruit cake if you’d prefer. They also make a range of personalised and themed cupcakes which look super-cute.

Baker Days

The letterbox cake starts at £14.99 plus postage and packing. It includes a greetings card, a keepsake tin and the balloons and blowers. I think it’s a lovely gift to post to someone; especially if you’re always a bit last minute like me. I like that it’s personalised and that it’s a little bit of fun. I think it’s a great idea and it’s definitely on my last minute panic present buying list.

Note: I was sent this cake from Baker Days for review purposes. All images and opinions are my own.

No Tricks, Just Treats – Halloween

photo (40) (277x550)Young Splodge is nearly three and is increasingly aware of the seasons and celebrations in our lives. Last Halloween he, like his nursery contemporaries dressed up for Halloween and trick or treated around the nursery. He dressed as a spider in an outfit we bought for a few pounds from Quality Save. He loved his spider costume so much he slept in it for two nights.

This year he’s more aware of what’s going on and has ambitions to dress as a pirate. He still fits in his spider costume so he’ll be wearing that, like it or not.

I love Halloween but I hate English style trick or treating. It’s basically begging and it gets on my nerves. Before you all shout “bah humbug” at me, I have absolutely no objections at all to dressing up and having a little spooky party, carving pumpkins and telling ghost stories. I love it all.

When I was 13 I was lucky enough to go to America in October. It was a school exchange trip and I stayed with a local family. It was a bit of a weird experience but exchange trips often are. The highlight for me was going trick or treating with some of the local kids.

I’m sure you’ve all seen American TV and films where Halloween is celebrated. It was pretty much exactly like that. We went to a thrift store and bought our costumes, I was a witch but I can’t remember what the others wore. We all carved enormous pumpkins. Back then pumpkins were really expensive in the UK and we’d never been able to afford one. We all had a spooky meal, dressed up and went trick or treating.

At some houses the porches were all decorated pretty elaborately, they really went to town; they’d leave huge trugs full of sweets with a note to help yourself, so we did. Some doors you knocked on and were greeted by the householder dressed up and offering goodies. It was magical and the atmosphere was terrific. Nothing at all like the pitiful trick or treating efforts in England.

I’d love for Splodge to experience what I did in America. One thing’s for sure though, he won’t be doing any trick or treating in England. We’ll throw a party, have a special tea, bake spooky treats and carve giant pumpkins. We’ll make it special and different and start our own lovely family traditions. No tricks, just treats.