For me, as soon as the mayhem of Christmas wraps up, I have about a week until I begin thinking about my son’s birthday. He’s about to turn 4 in early March, and the idea of throwing yet another birthday soiree has, unfortunately, soured me over the years.
See, I went over the top for his first birthday. I rented a room at the community center, invited everyone we knew and splurged on custom decorations and multiple outfits from Etsy. I ordered the.biggest.cake. I could find and subsequently had to stage a “moving day” back into our house after the amount of gifts he received.
We did it up, and we then wondered why our bank account looked so bare afterward. But, it was our little boy! And you only turn 1 once, right?
The next year, I threw him a party at our home with just family and wasn’t going to “go crazy.” Somehow, I still ended up ordering the ostentatious cake, the custom decorations, the fabulous, handmade Toy Story-themed goody bags from Etsy and stuffed them with wads of cash for our party goers as favors (or at least it felt like that).
How did I end up here–again–when I swore I wouldn’t? Well, I’ve picked up on a few ways to cut corners and still make for a fantastic party for him that doesn’t cost as much as the mortgage payment. Here are my tips:
Guest List
Keep the guest list small. Make it a cousins-only party, or include just a handful of your child’s closest friends. You don’t have to invite everyone you know. Inviting just a few special people will be a surefire way to keep food, supplies and venue options flexible.
Theme
Parties don’t need a theme. Why can’t the theme just be party? Millennial moms are notorious for going all extra on Etsy and getting carried away with custom shirts, candy bars, and dessert tables. I spent $10 on two sticks with 4 fundraiser tickets glued onto a string for my son’s circus-themed party this past summer, and $15 on “print at home” favor tags for the 500 Cracker Jack and Animal Cracker boxes I bought in addition to the tags as favors. My advice: Keep it simple. A few balloons, colorful cake (store bought that morning from the bakery or homemade from an 88-cent box mix is FINE), and no goody bags will be just as special.
Venue
If you’re like us, your home might not always be conducive to hosting big crowds, especially if your kid’s birthday falls in the wintertime or spring, when the weather is unpredictable. My cousin once invited us and 7 children to meet at Chick-Fil-A for playtime and lunch for her daughter’s birthday. She brought in a cake, purchased a bunch of nuggets and juice boxes and it was a blast! A friend invited us to a birthday party at the community splash pad (which is free) and a picnic afterward. My neighbor invited a group of us to join them for Toddler Time at our local Skyzone trampoline park ($8 admission per child and adults are free) instead of paying $500-$600 for a party room that limits the quantity of children and adults you can invite. It was genius. Get creative! Is there a park pavilion in your neighborhood that is open to the public? Does anyone want to go for pizza at a local restaurant? It doesn’t have to be over the top, and will surely prevent you from being gouged by those high priced party packages that most places offer.
Not only will keeping the guest list low, eliminating a custom theme and getting creative with venues keep your party costs low, I guarantee it will also help you enjoy your child’s birthday experience more, and the celebration will still be special.
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