It seemed appropriate when planning out blog posts that today's would be about birthday planning after planning/hosting our daughter's 13th birthday party with our family on Sunday. Things are much easier now as she is a little older, however, I have to say I was one of those crazy OVER the TOP birthday planning mamas. 🙋🏻♀️ There would be a friend party and a family party. Sadly those days are over, all that are left are memories & plenty of photos.
I would ask Camryn what kind of party she was thinking of having and then I went PINTEREST crazy planning. Do you know all the websites you can order from when planning a kid party?! You can find just about anything, to go with any theme... and spend a zillion dollars for your kids to appreciate none of it. Really.
When I say crazy OVER the TOP birthday planning mamas... I mean like legit crazy. Like the theme is going to be Hello Kitty so let's buy the Hello Kitty cake pan & make a Hello Kitty cake... and what if the girls don't like cake, we should have cupcakes {but if you know me you know I LOATHE making cupcakes or even baking for that matter so you can imagine me attempting to Martha Stewart it up?! Sighhh... The s&%* we do for our children}... and oh, how about "Pin the Nose on Hello Kitty".... Sure, why not?! That's what all moms do?! What on earth...
And then there was a Cowgirl Party... complete with pink cowgirl hats, plastic cowgirl boot glasses, pink handkerchiefs and a horse piñata. Yes... Oriental Trading does not disappoint. No crazy cake making for me this year - Wegmans to the rescue.
We shall not forget the insane Spa Birthday Party where I made a basket for each girl who attended the party complete with a hair brush, nail polish, nail file, silver flip flops, a wash cloth, etc and a list with their "spa appointments." There was a manicure station; pedicure station; facial station; and hair & makeup. I had to recruit three other adults to help. The girls had a fantastic time being pampered and all but it was exhausting!
And the very last friend party we hosted was an American Girl Movie Night theme... the girls decorated little bags for their dolls, enjoyed some pizza & fruits/veggies for dinner and then it was on to popcorn & TONS of candy for the AG movie!
I have to say I wouldn't have changed these parties for anything but often question if they were slightly over the top and over done? I am sure these little girlies would have been just as happy with less.
Planning a birthday party DOES NOT have to be complicated - here are a few simple steps to make it relatively painless 😊
STAY OFF PINTEREST {just kidding, kind-of}
Choose a date & time
Decide on location {will you host at your house or another location; if hosting at your house, leave a little extra time for cleaning & tidying up. When considering location, you need to determine the number of guests and whether the location you would like to use can accommodate all the guests comfortably.}
Choose a Theme {this will be the foundation for the rest of your party planning! The invites, the cake, the decorations, the paper products & favors}
Invites: Are you old fashion and send invites via snail mail or do you prefer to send them electronically via text or email? Either way, be sure to get the invites out with all the details! If sending electronically, Evites is a great option as it keeps track of RSVPs for you! {I make up a cute little invite using an app on my phone and send them via text now that we only do a family party.}
Menu planning: Decide on what you will be serving your guests at the party. Will you be preparing the food on your own, having it catered or ordering good old pizza & wings {you can't go wrong with pizza & wings}
Dessert: Will you be preparing your own desserts or will you be ordering out? {We tend to order from Wegmans because it is super easy and generally doesn't disappoint. My father-in-law also has a tradition of purchasing the kid's birthday cakes for their parties and bringing it along to the party so it's one less thing I have to worry about! All I have to do is place the order. I will forever be grateful for that ❤ After all, it's the little things, right?!?!}
Paper Products/Plastic Utensils: I strongly recommend purchasing these items to cut down on clean up after the party. Keep it simple!!!
Party Favors : This all depends on your child's age & whether or not there are a lot of little cousins or other little children attending the party. Again, party favors can be super simple - a coloring book/crayons; bubbles; a small lego set; a puzzle; the favor depends on the age of the kiddies receiving the items. Be sure to keep that in mind when choosing the items.
Party Prep: If you are in charge of hosting the party, be sure that everything is ready before your guests arrive. If you are hosting at another location, get there BEFORE your guests are to arrive so that you can be sure things are in order and are ready to greet your guests when they arrive.
Now enjoy the party!! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your little one 🍨🎉🎂
Have questions or need help putting together your child's party? Contact me at orderlybydanica@gmail.com