Party planning - how are you doing?

Jo · Guru

Party planning - how are you doing?

Juni · Guru

This doesn't help at all but we decided not to do a big party this year and I am so relieved. It's crazy how stressful it can get planning a birthday party and no doubt even more so with a toddler.

That cake you linked is so neat. I would probably never spend that much time on a cake but I think it is so cool that he took the time to make it for his son and it turned out so fun!

What we were going to do is have a party (joint) at Monkey Bizness. As the time got closer and I realized it would be around the same price to get a season pass to the water park and it would be a whole summer of fun instead of one small part of an afternoon. So, we did that and did a very small little BBQ at our house with the grandparents and one friend and her kids. If we had more family around we would totally do a party but they aren't going to be here this year.

I can't wait to see what you come up with for the cake!

Alison · Guru

Mason's Chuck E. Cheese party was a week and a half ago and it was great. :) So glad it's over!

We went to an Angry Birds party over the weekend. The parents made papier mache pig heads with candy and little toys in them (like pinatas) and painted angry birds faces on red balls to chuck at the pig heads. They actually built a little catapult, but it kept breaking, LOL.

I'll upload some pics to give you an idea. :)

Alison · Guru

Yes, their walls are purple - they were on a home improvement reality show last year and A&E painted their living room purple!

They set these boxes and blocks up so the pig heads would fall when the boxes were knocked down, so they would break.

Goodie bags for gathering the candy and little toys from the broken pig heads, LOL

They got a Costco cake, scraped off the writing they didn't want, and I think this was printed on that edible sugar paper. You could check Etsy or Ebay to see if you could buy something similar.

Jo · Guru

Neat ideas, Alison! Thanks for sharing! I bet Mason had a blast at his party, and I can definitely understand your relief in it being over.

Juni, something small would be ideal but with family here it's kind of hard. We actually did that last year when we first moved here, small and simple. But now family (mainly mine and Dom's aunt) asks what we're doing and when. It's great, though, the kids get to celebrate with family. We didn't have that before moving.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

I am having Allie's party Sunday. I have about 40 people. We are doing a circus with a bounce house, popcorn machine, cracker jacks, etc. I am doing no goody bags. Just animal sunglasses for each kid.

Jo · Guru

Wow, Melissa! Sounds like you've been busy. I'm looking forward to pictures, I'm sure everyone will have a great time!

Robin · Guru

Well, Mark has been waffling between Chuck E. Cheese and a backyard water party. It's really getting close so I need to reserve CEC if that's the direction I'm going.

It's cheaper on the budget (but not my sanity) to do the backyard party.

It's better on my sanity (but a killer on our budget) to do CEC.

Also at the end of the school year, Mark said he wanted to invite his whole class (plus brother, cousin, church friends, neighbors) so $$$$.

Sigh.

Maybe he'll have changed his mind by now.

Supafly · Guru

Ours is done!!!! Anna's birthday is Thursday, but because Bill's brother is getting married this Saturday is GA and the girls have their recital (and after her birthday is always too close to the 4th), we had her party this past weekend.

I didn't do anything fancy this year-no energy whatsoever, seriously. I am so tired growing this human being. So we had it at the farm once again. Pool party with the families and a couple of friends. We had pizza (we had it on a friday night which is pizza night anyway) and crabs, and we bought a cake. The kids pretty much just swam in the pool! The pizzas took a while to make since we made a dozen, but otherwise, it was easy and low prep, and everyone had a good time.

SO glad it is over!!!! One of these years, I would like to have more of a theme, but right now this was the best I could manage!!

Good luck with all of the party planning-I'm sure he will LOVE whatever you do!!!

muffy · Guru

Coarse party is mermaid themed. And I swear there will not be a single ariel thing there ( soooo sick of Disney princesses) There will be 8 girls total. And Cecile and I are cooking up some fun games and such.

Domimom · Senior Member

Dominic is having a Super Mario Bros themed party at this place that has a huge play area inside. I made really cool favor bags, I ordered stuff from Oriental Trading company and the kids are getting about 40 favors each and I had custom invitations and a mario scene with his picture I am having printed on the edible image paper for the cake. This is the first year he is inviting kids from school so I really hope they show up! Here is a picture of the cake image and the invitation.

-- Edited by Domimom on Tuesday 21st of June 2011 11:46:31 PM

FoxyRoxy · Guru

Marcos had a transformer theme party at his school on May.
On monday we'll be going to Chuck n' Cheese and then to watch Cars 2

Lucy · Senior Member

Not planning at all. Every time I asked him what he wanted he gave me a different answer so finally I was like you can either have a big party with people from school at his Karate school or Pump it Up or he could have our four best friends over to swim at our house and have cup cakes. He chose the last one so since it works for me I've decided not to ask him again and just go with it. :) So basically I just have to decide on cupcakes that I can actually do.

He had a big party at PIU last year with everyone from school so I don't feel bad about going small this year.

supergrover · Guru

Mine don't know they can invite friends yet- so they aren't even thinking about a friends party! Fine by me.

We are having a tiny party at my inlaws this weekend- fish themed. My inlaws are giving them fishing gear.

In a couple weeks we will be having a backyardigans themed small family party with my side of the family. It is only backyardigans because Koda saw all the plates, etc on an end cap and began begging for a backyardigans party. Well, since they were on an endcap because they were being clearanced out- I bought it all for .50 a pack.

We were goin to do our gifts to them here at home. I'm half debating bringing them down to my moms party now.

Sara · Guru

All I know is Owen wants an Angry Bird party. We also plan to have Keegan's 3rd and Ryder's 1st birthday party all at the sametime so we will most likely have a million different themes. Keegan says Scooby Doo or Tractors it changes daily. Ryder could careless.

Corey · Guru

this is my favorite time of year on momsquawk! i love hearing about everyone's parties:)

since jamison is also a july baby the two boys will be sharing a party at the end of july. connor is having a lego theme and since i have always wanted to do a pirate theme and connor has never agreed to it that is what jamison "chose" ;)

so far i have purchased a lego pirate book for the goody bags, which was a great find since it incorporated both themes. i also have lego stickers and pirate stickers.

we are just having it in the backyard with cousins. i still haven't made the jump into friend parties yet.

Cuppycake · Guru

I'm so jealous. Malin and I were just talking about Angry Birds parties the other night (have you seen this: http://pinterest.com/pin/16789635/ )

Anyways, I'm pretty much ready kinda, lol. We'll have about a dozen kids here, and our place is TINY, so we'll do grandparents and stuff over for pizza a different day. Hannah's doing a rock star party, and I have just about everything for that (just need the food - nuggets and fruit salad from Chik-fil-a, and a few other snacks, and I've talked an old high school friend into making streamers for me.)... They can sing karaoke, decorate inflatable guitars, and trash my house. Oh, and they'll be a makeover station with makeup, funky colored, hair extension strands, bracelets, shades, and tattoos.

I have very little left to do here - mainly prepping the guitars (which I'm doing right now, after this motivated me, lol) and making personalized cups, which I'm hoping to do tonight), besides the last minute stuff that has to wait. I've already moved on to planning the next one, lmao.

-- Edited by Cuppycake on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 02:36:28 PM

apies · Guru

yeah i'm in the minority here when i say i pretty much don't care about the kids parties.

i don't feel the need to impress them. they are happy (for now) whether we have a party at a party place with a fancy cake or a gathering here at home with friends and family with a target cake.

if i get a good idea, fine. if not, oh well. a decorated cake will make them happy.

we had jake's party at monkey bizness and it was fine. kids jumped and ran. kids ate. kids colored.

emily's party will be here at home with some local friends. i'm going to let her pick out a cake at target next time we go and i will build a theme around that (for plates, etc). she's leaning toward tangled.

happylib · Guru

Elizabeth has requested a dog and frog party. So far I am planning on renting a pavilion in a park that has electric available and a play ground with lots of grassy area. I think I am going to make puppy chow, which may end up being the party favor. I am thinking I am making the cake in ice cream cones because I have to make allergy friendly cake, which tends to be crumbly. The ice cream cones keeps the crumbs down and is less messy, plus no wrappers. Hopefully by her party I will have the rest of it figured out.

mctex · Guru

apies wrote:
yeah i'm in the minority here when i say i pretty much don't care about the kids parties.

i don't feel the need to impress them. they are happy (for now) whether we have a party at a party place with a fancy cake or a gathering here at home with friends and family with a target cake.

if i get a good idea, fine. if not, oh well. a decorated cake will make them happy.

we had jake's party at monkey bizness and it was fine. kids jumped and ran. kids ate. kids colored.

emily's party will be here at home with some local friends. i'm going to let her pick out a cake at target next time we go and i will build a theme around that (for plates, etc). she's leaning toward tangled.

RE the red

I think some of us do it not to impress, but because it's fun!

(At least for some of us, apparently... LOL)