If you follow me at all on Dayton Mom’s Blog , then you have read some of my past posts describing the busy season we call “holiday baby birthdays, anniversary, Christmas, my birthday.” In other words, what seems to be all of December and January by the time all of the celebrating has come to a close. It’s a glorious season, as well as an expensive and tiring one, but we embrace and we run the race handed to us!
Being the mama of *now* 6 and 4-year-old ladies, whose birthdays are New Years Day and Dec. 26, we are still in the combined birthday party stage – well until I am ready to take on the project of two separate friends parties – and this year was no different. Well. Maybe it was.
In the past I have done the whole Pinterest frenzy first birthday party, where I pinned the heck out of my Pinterest feed, shopped at Etsy shops, made sure to order a specialty cake flavor from the local Cupcake Wars baker (Dayton has 2 of these, did you know?), AND had every last detail nailed (Gah. I am tired reliving this in my brain). I have also done the go-to-place party, where I pay *a good amount of* money for someone else to provide the food and the activity (bowling and Magic Castle – both were great).
Well, this year, I went with the theme – a stress-free plan. In other words, organized but simple & inexpensive. I need to let other mamas know that you don’t need to go “all out Pinterest” to have a fun party for kiddos. Because, is the party for them or the adults? And really, do either truly care? I am not bashing the from bottom to top, high end/dollar Pinterest parties by any means; I have just hit a stage of life where I am okay with my good ole fashion birthday party – where I have cut some corners and saved some cash, and everyone still had fun. I think it’s all truly about balance. So, do what suits your family best, and read up on the how to insights from our budget-friendly not “all out Pinterest” birthday party planning this year.
What:
My husband and I contemplated even having a “friends” party for the girls this year. They both expanded their friend network though and we knew they would have fun. So, we went with it. With both being holiday babies, we did entertain the idea of requesting no gifts or picking an organization to donate to and having kids bring a gift to donate (because it’s like non-stop gifts for us for two months). But in the end, we agreed that our youngest may not fully grasp this plan quite yet, so we went with the traditional birthday party (ie. if they brings gifts, great, if not, GREAATT!). We also knew we wanted to stick with a low budget, so the brainstorming began…
Are you partied out? Take a year off. Heck, take 5 years off. Kids don’t NEED a yearly birthday party, but have them if you love them!
Theme:
So, both of my girls are into art right now. Coloring, drawing, creations with random pieces of scraps that I attempt to throw away. I decided that an ART themed party would be the focus. After some head scratching and knowing we wanted to stick with simplicity, we decided to eliminate any location that would involve an insane cost. I did explore Pinterest, for a quick and easy invitation idea, and I found this gem made from paint chips at your local Lowes/Home Depot/Walmart (wherever there is paint). I printed the details from my computer, cut and glued to the colorful side of the paint chip (the other side of mine had details that were not pertinent), and used a hole punch and some twine I had hanging around to make a little bow on the top left corner. Now, for the details to be put in place. Theme. Check. Free theme based invitation. Check.
Is there an interest or stage your kids are in that you could play off of for an easy birthday party theme? Think about it and run with it.
Where:
We explored a few options and dates. We knew we wanted to stay away from the holiday madness, so chose four weeks out from our girls’ birthdays. I reluctantly entertained the idea of using our home (but goodness. really?) and then thought about our church. YES! Our church! I inquired and realized using our church home was FREE! YESSS! I also could choose the specific location within the church, as well as have extras such as chairs and tables ready for me (also at no charge). A plus? Our Sunday school rooms have kid-sized tables and chairs. PERFECT! Location. Check. Seating and tables for the kiddos (that they won’t fall off of). Check.
Do you have a church you are involved with? Attend? Friends attend? If so, ask them if they ever rent their facility and get the details. Some churches do not require you to be a member.
Who:
Ah yes. The invite list. With a combined birthday party, we definitely set some limits, but still allowed our girls to invite their core friend group. Each invited 4 – 5 ‘personal’ friends as well as 4-5 ‘together’ friends. The reality is that most of them knew each other and are really one huge girl tribe (personal plug – I LOVE all of their mamas, too!). Also, with my eldest in Kindergarten, we decided to eliminate school friends. Deciphering who to choose, who to invite, and who not to invite was extremely difficult, and because she has so many little lady friends at school, she didn’t want to hurt feelings. So, for both of them, we stuck with neighborhood, dance, and church friends. The invites were customized in regards to who invited them (ie. different for the personal vs together friends). Easy. Invite list. Check.
Sometimes it’s easier to eliminate an entire group of kids vs. picking a select few and perhaps hurting some sweet little feelings. For us, it was definitely easier to do that this year. Think of alllll of the kiddos your kiddo knows, and which ‘groups’ they belong to (ie. sports team, church, dance, swimming, school, etc) and consider sticking with one or more of those groups as your invite prospects. Helps you narrow down the invite list, and (I am sure) there will always be more parties.
Activity:
An art party NEEDS an art activity. Right? Okay. No offense to the Target dollar section or the Dollar Tree, but I was NOT going to have these kids do a craft that would be shoved in the dumpster within 2 minutes of walking out. I am in a total declutter phase and with this I appreciate the crafts that can #1 have a purpose, #2 be saved and thus commemorate a stage of life, #3 be incorporated into an edible part of the event. Insert the DIY birthday plate and DIY cupcakes (will discuss in FOOD section). We own a few DIY plates I have made with the girls using their hand and footprints, and I had the revelation of modifying this for a “party take-home keepsake” craft.
The girls and their party attendees made personalized birthday plates that could be used each birthday to serve their birthday cake/cupcake/dessert on. I did not think this would be so highly praised (because I didn’t pick this craft for the praise), but I heard nothing but, “Thanks” and, “Love this!” from the moms and kiddos after completing this craft. They loved it, and it literally cost me .88 cents per child (thank you Walmart stoneware salad plates). I utilized my stash of multi-colored Sharpies, threw a handful on each table, and let the kids go at it. Some scribbled, some meticulously designed birthday cakes and floral arrangements, many wrote their names or any other phrase, and in the end they each would have this forever – if they so desired. I gave the mamas directions on baking it and preserving it best with Mod Podge, and clean up was minimal. Craft. Check. Happy kids. Check. One less craft in the trash. Check.
Yes. I DID use Pinterest to finalize this idea, but I made sure to look for simple age appropriate crafts that were in the keepsake department (vs. trash department). What is your budget for a party activity? Are you thinking something the kiddos will make or play a game? Whatever it is, keep it simple and supplies low. All will enjoy regardless!
Food:
FOOODDD . Yes. The money sucker. Or not. Sticking with my simplicity theme, we went easy. The party started at noon, so we planned to serve lunch, but alas this is NOT necessary. Our menu consisted of finger foods. Because KIDS. We enjoyed Costco cheese pizza from the food court (because its $9 a pizza and serves an army), organic baby carrots (which we already had at home), ranch ($2 -made with sour cream and a dip packet) , hummus ($2), pretzels ($2), and bottled water ($2). For dessert, we went with 2 dozen Kroger cupcakes ($15). Sticking with the art theme, I set up a DIY cupcake area, where the girls were able to decorate their own cupcakes (as I ordered them sans any topping besides good ole whipped frosting). I had NO idea this would be such a hit! The girls LOVED it! I literally used my stash of sprinkles, colored sugar crystals, and random decor from the holiday clearance at Kroger, for this portion of the craft/dessert. It cost me nothing and it stayed within the theme. Perfection. We invited any parents to stay, and those who did enjoyed the food as well (and they were major helpers in the craft and food serving/cleanup). Don’t forget to feed those who help you! After feeding 16 kids and about 10 adults we STILL had leftovers! Budget-friendly food. Check. Leftovers for later. Check.
How can you feed a large group for a reasonable price? We utilized local grocers whose price and food options met our budget / palette and we didn’t give choices (only one kind of pizza, only one kind of beverage). If you live near an Aldi, know you can get great basics at great prices. Also, what food/snacks do you already have in your home that can be utilized?
DIY cupcakes
Decorations:
MINIMAL. I kept it extremely minimal. Because girls ranging from 3-6yrs old really do not care, and their moms appreciate things that won’t break. Sticking with the art theme, I planned to just simply have the decor be whatever our plates and tablecloths consisted of. I found some hot pink tablecloths at Walmart (a pack of 3 was cheaper than buying 3 individually at Dollar Tree). Teal blue larger paper plates and purple cake plates (about $6 for over 75 of these goodies). I used clear plastic cutlery I had at home in our summer picnic/guests stash, as well as a roll of paper towels (courtesy of my Costco stash). We had one ‘Happy Birthday ‘ sign that we hung on the gift table, which was recycled from their ‘family’ party a month prior. I now have enough colorful plates to easily last a few more parties, and a birthday sign we can also use again. Easy. Check. Colorful and within the theme. Check.
What do you have hiding in your cupboards and craft supplies that you can use as decor? The myth is that we have to go all out crazy or spend a ridiculous amount of money to make things look nice. Remember what age group you are dealing with, and what your focus is. Cater your decor around that vs. what you think others will say behind your back. Because in the end, they don’t care either way. They were just happy to be included in your special day!
Personalized thank you notes:
I made sure to take a few group shots of all of the ladies, and we included a photo of the party goers in leftover thank you cards I had from my prior snail mail life. The girls decorated the cards and signed their names, and wahhlahh, a photo and a card to each guest. Easy. Free (besides a stamp, unless you hand delivered like we did for most of them). Kids were involved. Check.
Do you have leftover random stationary? Let your kiddos use these for thank you cards. Some of the cutest cards are the handmade ones. Nothing matches, there is no rhyme or reason, just go with it. Soon they will be too prim and proper for us to handle.
Conclusion:
In the end, you will plan and execute your little’s party day however you desire. Whether it costs hundreds or twenty bucks, it will be all about your little one. Enjoy the process though, and remember that every last detail does not have to be “Pinterest Perfection” in order for it to run smoothly. My biggest obstacle was forgetting a method to light my girls’ candles, but thankfully a mama friend saved the day and brought a lighter (because – mom tribe). Someone else can cook for you and you don’t have to break the bank, and your activity can be simple and still meaningful. You got this mama! Party on!
What are some of your tips and shortcuts to birthday party planning? Please share!
