Let’s be honest, birthday parties are not as much fun for the mom throwing it as it is for the attendees.
There are some days I sit down and think, why are we wasting money on this when we could just use it towards something they want instead? But the fact of the matter is, a party is what my kids want. They absolutely love to spend time with family and friends. Any chance to feel special for them shouldn’t be clouded by my resentment of feeling overwhelmed. I have all year to worry about money, time, and responsibilities. I only have one day a year to cherish the moment that I brought them into this world. So how do I make the most of that?
Start planning 4-6 months ahead of time.
Sound crazy? I promise, giving yourself time like this will save your sanity. This allows you to budget out how much you want to spend on this shindig, as well as which date you want to reserve. We take a look and see what date is closest to their birthday and the weekend. Then we make a Facebook event and add the guests we know for sure we want to take part. This gives ample time for everyone to make arrangements/block off this date. It’s proven to be really useful with our family who is out of town or just for our friends who are avid planners. During this first step, you are just deciding broad ideas (the where, who, and when should be answered).
3-5 months out, you should sit down and crunch numbers.
By now a theme should be chosen. Start keeping an eye out for deals on the themed party décor, as well as calculating roughly how many people you are planning for. Get on your Pinterest account and make that board. Get creative with all of the wants you have for the party, but don’t forget to approve them with your little Mister or Miss.
This year, my daughter wants a Wreck-It Ralph theme. I have been watching for sales on her theme for the past month and finally, I ran into a 50% off sale. I spent $22 on the decorations that are themed, and closer to the party, I will stop at the dollar store for colored balloons and table cloths that match the theme’s colors. This is important! Not everything has to have a character on it, so feel free to mix and match to keep the cost down. All of this will essentially be thrown away after the party, so there’s no need to spend a fortune.
Also at this point, you should make a physical invite for those who do not have Facebook. We have a lot of older generations in the family, and they just prefer a paper copy to put with their calendar or pin on their fridge. This year, we went a step further and created a flyer with both kids’ birthdays/dance recital dates on it. This allows all of the information from both children to be located in one central note to be referenced throughout the next few months.
1 month before the party, you should relook at that guest list.
Compile a list of people who said they were/may be coming. Take this number of possible attendees and craft your menu. Some themes may be more difficult to do on a budget, but just remember… not everything has to stick with the theme.
For our Wreck-It Ralph party, we could spend a ton of money on candy and do a Sugar Rush take on it (a reference to the movie). Since we are a family that hasn’t introduced candy to our kids, this isn’t really an option for us. So we are making a movie night out of it – ordering $5 pizzas from Little Caeser’s, making fruit and veggie trays, and making a massive amount of popcorn out of our giant tub of kernels from Costco. The best part is it’s all pre-prepped, and I don’t have to do anything the day of besides pick up and set out.
Plan a menu with as little work as possible. You’ll think you have time for it all, but trust me… every minute making food is a memory lost with the birthday kid. Which, isn’t this who it’s all about?
One week before the party date, time to order and prep.
Order your cake, order your balloons, and craft any last minute decorations the first few days of this week. Two days before the party, put together any trays or food you need to. The day before, make your balloon run, cake run, and last minute items’ run. If you are having the party at your home, try not to make any massive messes and save the straightening up for the day of the party. This will allow you to decorate as you clean.
Day of the party… delegate, delegate, delegate!
Your day should be spent making the place, your child, and yourself look how you want. If you forgot something, don’t stress! You have a swat of people coming to celebrate and support you and your little one. Have a grandparent or trusted attendee grab any last minute pick-ups and ask for them to arrive 30 minutes early.
By slowing down and being mindful before your child’s big day, you can make their party special – not only for your little one but for the people who brought them into this world as well. You deserve to relax and celebrate with them, momma. Congratulations, you made it through another year!
