May and June will be bringing us our last two birthdays of the Season (“the Season” spans from December-June with a birthday every month).
As bad luck and poor planning will have it, both children are due for a birthday party. Arabella (turning 11) hasn’t had one for three years and Jasper (turning six) has never had one. You will either think me very mean or very smart for that.
I took a couple of party planning classes at the Snap conference. Party planning, laundry and growing plants are really my weakest areas. Actually, I always throw really fun parties; it’s just that I’m a horrendous procrastinator and I end up stressed out and overspent (literally and figuratively).
So this year I’m planning ahead. Well, planning ahead is relative. I planned the themes and got the invitations three weeks in advance. I have also gotten my two children to agree to the same color scheme for both parties (turquoise and lime). That means I can get all the same party stuff and just change the accents. Good thinking, me!
This year the parties will be at home. I cannot afford all the Chuck E. Cheese/Bouncy House/Bowling Alley nonsense. We are going to leave the decorations up for a whole month to cover both parties. Not even joking. Who hasn’t wanted to leave dozens of tissue paper flowers hanging from their ceiling for weeks at a time? Its fun and festive! And they kind of match my decor.
I got the new Amy Atlas party planning book from Amazon last week (it focuses mainly on the tablescape and food items)
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It is so fantastic. It’s full of pictures, DIY options, recipes and party planning secrets that are brilliant and I’d never heard of before (You can and should buy the book here
Anyhoo, I’m off to buy tissue paper and color coordinating gum balls.
I was compensated for my Amazon gift card and will get oodles of money if you buy the Amy Atlas book through my link.
I think your party planning strategies are brilliant. Obvisouly because I have the same strategies. I have six children and they are allowed a friend party when they are 7 and 11. That’s it. Partly due to my own laziness, partly due to the fact that there are 8 people here already and that’s kind of like a party!
I saw those same beautiful turquoise tissue paper flowers at an outdoor wedding reception here in Massachusetts this very afternoon.
I approve.
OOOOOOOOOOoooooooo! How pretty! Is your family-room going to look like that?
There was a big empty space in the middle of your blog. Was that supposed to be a picture of the book? No worries, Hildie, whatever you set your mind to do, you do fantastically!
please inform me how you got hooked up with amazon to get oodles…i may just buy that book through your link…
We do the same thing with birthdays – they have to take turns, and rare is the child who gets a full-fledged “kids” party before age 6. But I really want to know how to make those hanging tissue-paper balls – are you going to tell us?
Of course I’ll tell you! They are my favorite party decoration. Not as big a pain as balloons and they last for more than 10 hours.
Homemade parties are the best! I just love those paper flowers too, they would be great for all kinds of parties.