party planning

First Birthday Recap Part 1

January 11, 2016

Evelyn’s birthday definitely snuck up on me since it’s just over two weeks after Christmas. I knew I had wanted a pink and gold color theme since there is no shortage of supplies and decorations in those colors. I added the cat element because Evie loves our two cats and what is cuter than a cat cake and cat cookies? I am taking full advantage of having a girl and went all out with the pink and gold glitter decorations. I would have painted the walls pink if my husband had let me. I’m so happy to share part one of her party, which is all the decor and food! I have always loved throwing parties and hosting events at our house. I even get excited when I host small playgroups because it gives me an excuse to set out food platters and mini coffee bars. buy cozaar online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/cozaar.html no prescription

The dessert table is a must for any party. This one consisted of the kitty cake, her tiny smash cake, regular and mini size cupcakes and also custom made cookies (cat faces and gold glitter number 1’s). The cookies were the biggest hit and were gone before anything else. Having pink in the color scheme was perfect since most stores have Valentine’s Day decor and baked goods out. The mini pink cupcakes were from Target and the other cupcakes and smash cake were from Kroger. I didn’t even need to request anything special since there was an abundance of pink frosted cakes everywhere. The kitty cake was made by Publix and I was so impressed! Normally I use a bake shop but since this cake was so simple, I figured I would give them a try. Another bonus? It was only $29. By far the cheapest custom cake I have ever purchased.

Since the party was at 10am I opted for a waffle bar and mimosa bar, which were very easy to set up. I did all the chopping of the fruit ahead of time so that the morning of, all that needed to be done was bake the waffles in the oven (which only took 20 minutes) set out the juice, fixings and champagne. I found the Mimosa printable sign here and she created the Waffle file for me at no additional charge! I got them both printed at my local target. The frames are wooden from Hobby Lobby (I bought the cheapest they had) and then I spray painted them a metallic gold. The mini carafes that held the syrup have been purchased throughout the years. Target always has them in their dollar spot and I’ve seen them at Five Below too. For fruit for the mimosa’s, I stuck with peaches, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. The waffle bar had topping choices of mini chocolate chips, colored sprinkles, blueberries, bananas and strawberries. Syrup options were raspberry, blueberry and maple. buy premarin online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/premarin.html no prescription

I know hosting parties or large groups at your house can seem daunting, but for me I love it because I can set up ahead of time and work on things at any time of day. I’m not packing the car with food, drinks and crafts and I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything. Most rental places with party rooms only give you 30 minutes prior to set up for a birthday which is definitely not enough time. I started my set up the week of her party during nap and in the evenings. We have minimal furniture in our front room and always use that for parties which is ideal. It’s the first room people see when they walk into our house and gets plenty of daylight. It’ll be a bummer if I ever really decide to furnish it! buy singulair online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/singulair.html no prescription

If you’re short on time or don’t want to stress too much about decor, I always recommend choosing a theme that has ample supplies in stores and online. {Amazon Prime will be your best friend!} Try to pick a theme a few months prior to the event, start a pinterest board for ideas and slowly start to collect items for the party. If hosting at your home, set up a few days prior to the party if possible. Anything that can be done ahead of time really takes stress off of you since the day of or the day prior is always filled with cake & balloon pick ups, preparing and setting out food, cleaning the house and getting ready. I prepped goody bags, made crafts, chopped fruit, picked up the cake, cookies and balloons all before the day of. You’d be surprised how many last minute things can sneak up on you the day of your party, so prepping prior to your event is my number one piece of advice. Tomorrow I’ll be sharing more details on the goody bags, crafts and the best part of all: Evelyn 🙂 Below is a vendor list for the party room, sorted by table.

Kids Table:

Pink Table Cover: Party City

Gold Glitter Boxes: Hobby Lobby

Polka Dot Treat Cups: Amazon

Gold Table Runner: Target {wrapping paper}

Linen & Gold Table Runner: Target Dollar Spot, Valentines Decor

Polka Dotted Plates: Amazon

Mini Milk Bottles: Shop Sweet Lulu

Sweets Table:

Cat Cake: Publix

Cat Cookies: Yummy Delicious Cookies

Cupcakes: Target & Kroger

Cake + Cupcake Toppers: New Way Kids

Paper Plates: Shop Sweet Lulu

Cat Pillow: H&M

ONE Glitter Letters: Hobby Lobby {plain wood letter spray painted with gold glitter paint}

Memory Board: Sugarboo & Co.

Blush Pink & Gold Tassel Garland: Peachy Details

Table Cover: Party City

Gold Glitter Runner: Paper Source {wrapping paper}

Pinwheels: Pom Poms & Pinwheels

Pink Paper Garlands: Oh Happy Day Shop

Mimosa/Waffle Bar Table:

Glass Carafes: Ikea

Gold Champagne Flutes: Party City

Mimosa/Waffle Bar Printable: Paper Canoe Printables

Pink Table Cover: Party City

Gold Glitter Runner: Paper Source

Gold + Pink Foil Banners: Amazon here & here

Gold Polka Dot Plates: Party City

Pink Paper Garlands: Oh Happy Day Shop

White & Gold Bowls: Target Dollar Spot, Valentine’s Decor

HENRY TURNS 3

July 21, 2015

Ahhh, where does the time go? Henry’s 3rd birthday has come and gone, all the party planning and setting up is over and we still have tables set on our porch. In time they will come down, but for now,I keep them up because 1. I’m too tired to move them and 2. No matter what time of day it is the temp always feels like 100 degree and 3. Â Having some party decorations still up makes me feel that his birthday didn’t come and go too quickly and that we are still celebrating my new three year old.Â

This year we went with a pirate theme which I think is totally appropriate for my wild dude. There is definitely no shortage of pirate themed goodies out there. My suggestion for efficient party planning is to plan ahead! Pick a theme and buy ahead. Look out for deals, use coupons, research on line and make any crafts ahead of time. You have no idea how much things can creep up on you. It’s a good idea to set aside some cash too for the day of to pay any vendors (photographer, caterer, etc).Â

Since Henry’s party was in the evening on a Saturday, we decided to have JR’s BBQ cater for everyone since there were so many people. The food was so good and we had a lot left over. If you are in the Atlanta area, you must visit theirÂ restaurant or have them cater your event. I still remember getting breakfast there on weekend mornings in high school with my girlfriends.Â One of the managers is a good friend of ours and was recently telling us about Utility Bidder. This website is a great resource for businesses who are looking for ways to reduce their energy bills as it allows you to compare a number of different suppliers in order to get the best price. Take a look and see how much you can save!

The weather was pretty crappy on the day of the party and we went back and forth about setting up outside but it was too unpredictable. Luckily the rain held out for a while so the kids could play in the back yard on the playground and get some energy out. We hired a cute face painter who came dressed as a pirate and she turned the kids faces into the cutest characters. Oh and she also made balloon animals. Double win!Â

I highly recommend having a friend or professional take pictures at the party so you can enjoy your child’s day and hang out with your guests. For Henry’s first two birthdays, I had my sweet friend Shayda photograph the details and party. However this year she and her husband became parents and I wanted them to be able to enjoy the party without worrying about anything else. Thank God for our wonderful photographer, Whitney, this year. She was able to capture soÂ many great pictures that we will cherish for a long time!Â

It really takes a village to throw a birthday party, especially when you have little ones running around.Â I would not have been able to do prep or set up without my husband, family and friends who all spent their time helping set up and prep. Definitely enlist people in your life that offer and are willing to help. It will save your sanity!Â

(high school ladies! friends for almost 20 years <3)

In the kids snack packs I included pirates booty, an applesauce pouch and and honest juice box. There was also water for them on the table because if you know toddlers, their attention span is about 4 seconds long and they never stop to eat.Â

Thank you to all of our family and friends who came out to celebrate our wild child with us. Until next year, we love you!Â

Vendor/Supply List:

Pirate Yard Sign:Â Party Pail

Pirate Pails (I used these for the “goody” bags):Â Party Pail

Pirate Flags & Fish Net: Oriental Trading

Red letters: cardboard letters fromÂ Joann’s, painted.Â

Burlap: from any fabric store

Black and White table runner:Â etsy vendor

Bandanas/Eye Patches/Swords: Target

Table Cloths/Napkins/Plates: Target

Misc: Party City, Target, Etsy, Michaels … pirate stuff is everywhere.Â

Local:Â

Pirate Cake – local Atlanta bakerÂ Cake Envy

Photographer – Whitney Huynh fromÂ Tulle & Grace

Face Painter -Â Once Upon a FiestaÂ

kids tables & chairs:Â The Rental Place

Outfit:Â

#3 Shirt -Â Sugarboo & Co

black & white harem pants:Â etsy vendorÂ

shoes:Â converseÂ

A Monster Celebration

July 2, 2014

Henry turned two on Saturday. TWO. As much as I thought I’d be sad about him getting bigger, it wasn’t as hard as his first birthday. I felt happy. Happy that is he understanding more, happy that he is in such a cute stage, happy that he is learning so much and using more words. This is definitely the hardest stage and the cutest and I wouldn’t change it for anything 🙂 Last Friday we had a small party for him that included all his friends and their moms from my mom group. I wanted to keep it more low key this year and celebrate with family on a different day. It definitely went a lot smoother and was much more stress-free than his big first birthday party. I had some amazing help (our wonderful babysitter and my best friend/Henry’s godmother. Not to mention my husband who worked hard before work to set up the “pool” area). The theme was Monsters University since that has been Henry’s favorite movie for the past 8 months and we turned it into a toddler pool party. I found most of the decorations online (Party City, Oriental Trading) and the blue food baskets were from the dollar spot at Target (3 for $1); they were the perfect size to hold the kids food. We ended up having 15 kids including Henry and a teeny tiny newborn! We borrowed our friend Kelly’s water table and slide and a few other toys. The blow up pools are from Sam’s Club and Target. We also had chalk, bikes, toddler lawnmowers and a bunch of other toys. The kids had a great time and the party lasted about an hour and a half which was the perfect amount of time to visit and play.

(these amazing cookies are by Yummy Delicious Cookies in Marietta, GA)

{Invitations bought here}

{A HUGE thank you to my BFF Shayda for capturing all these pictures and helping me out so much the night before/morning of, despite being 25 weeks pregnant!}

Henry Turns ONE

July 3, 2013

Henry’s first birthday was definitely a labor of love. I started planning the party back in January thinking I had all the time in the world but man did those months fly by. Luckily we finished our sun room about 4 days before the party and I had friends come over to help set up a few days in advance. BEST DECISION ever! I strongly recommend doing as much setting up prior to the morning of the party (if possible). Luckily the party was at our house so there were not any issues that prohibited us from doing this. We got tables set up, goody bags and center pieces made, streamers cut, signs hung, etc. That made it very easy to make a list of last minute things to do the morning of (blow up balloons, make and set out food, get drinks ready, clean up, etc). I am so grateful for everyone that helped out with his party. My best friend (and Henry’s God Mother) took amazing photos and made his beautiful chalkboard sign, I borrowed supplies and tables from friends, and had plenty of help the day of. The rain held off and the temperature was in the low 80’s, there was plenty of space for the 16 babies and 43 adults, and we had tons of food left over (cake, not so much, we nearly ate it all). This was not only a birthday party but a celebration of the first year of life. All that us mommy’s daddy’s go through, the milestones of our babies, and the “we made it!” sign of relief. Thanks so all of our family and friends for sharing this beautiful day with us. We would not be here without you all. xoxo