I am one of those parents, more specifically one of those mothers, who goes above and beyond for birthday parties, yes, even first birthday parties. But honestly, not just birthday parties. I love hosting events and have thrown quite a few in benefit of non-profit organizations as well as individuals who may be seeking financial support due to medical conditions, hospitalizations, etc.
My oldest is six, my son four and then we have a 1.5 year old daughter. Due to the pandemic my 1.5 year old did not get to have a first birthday party. My opinion is that every birthday should be celebrated and how we choose to celebrate is our business. Whether we do a cupcake with a lighter held over it or order a gourmet, three tiered cake with a candle stating specifically how old our child is. Even if we choose to stay home, have dinner and then sing happy birthday before bath. How we choose to make it special is absolutely our choice. That's the thing about parenthood. We have so many options and I know some times it feels wrong, but please do not let anyone invalidate your choice. Or your feelings. Especially when it comes to birthdays and how you choose to celebrate. There is no right or wrong and we must empathize that not everyone has the opportunity to choose the over the top party either. <3
(which reminds me, I know some pretty talented party people, if you ever need some simple DIY décor/invites/games ideas) (I may be able to recommend a local baker as well! Variety of prices to accommodate all families) Parties can be over the top and you can save so much by doing it yourself!!! :)
Anyways, my children always request the most random party themes! Anyone else have a child that comes up with unpopular themes? Like one year my daughter said Zootopia. She was two, so we did TWO-opia. Literally zero decorations available in the world at this time. It was 4 years ago, so was not as popular as it is now, but I remember the weekend after her party going to the story and seeing stuff. I was mildly upset, but hey trendsetter! lol!
Or a theme that you cannot just buy a party décor package from the store or online somewhere? This has been every single year, but I have to be honest.....This year was different and slightly easier... this year my son wanted Marshmello, the dj who now appears on fortnite. (another popular game) and my daughter wanted Barbie. Perfect. A Marshmello Barbie theme! We got this!
Thanks to Tasty Bakery in Murrysville for these amazing white almond and red velvet Barbie/marshmello cupcakes and adorable pink and white marshmallow pops to really celebrate our Marshmello theme!
But here is where the twist came in- my son did not want fortnite characters or any thing related to the game at his party. I did what most mother's do and immediately went to Amazon! Ah, yes thank you Amazon for coming through with the party package plates and decorations of this Marshmello character. Aside from the party kit, I had to come up with food and games to coordinate this thing. We had a bunch of yard games to offer and a little photo backdrop to take pictures, but the kids needed something other than that and a pinata. So we used marshmallows and played a few games! One where they had to stack them as high as they could and then toss them in the air and catch them with their mouth. Whoever caught the most won :) But I think it is safe to say I could have ditched all that, even the cupcakes for this special appearance....
What better way to keep it mello than with Marshmello himself?(who knew this would make his party!) My son was so excited!! Even if most of us did not get the hype, to see him so hyped was worth everything it took to put it together <3
My daughter requested a Barbie party and I thought Barbie would be pretty popular, but most of the décor was mermaid Barbie. This was the first year that I worked full-time and planned a party, so those decorations I had to make work! I sadly didn't manage my time well enough to make everything like I have all the other years, but I had something up my sleeve to make it the perfect day regardless of homemade decorations! For the entertainment, we had to creative! These weren't just little toddlers anymore, although most were the same as my daughter-6. So my daughter and I set up a cozy little spa station where the girls could get manicures & pedicures as well as their hair done! (we even used hair chalk for some colorful streaks!) The spa bath was such a hit! We used the those bigger oval bins from dollar tree, filled it up with warm soap water, dropped in a bath bomb, flower petals and a drop of essential oil as the girls soaked their feet! The night before the party we made a DIY sugar scrub, which came in handy for the spa station! Each girl received a foot massage including the scrub and a moisturizing lotion. They had so much fun!
and lastly, Barbie herself to attending the Princesses Ball. <3 These are the moments I live for. My children are still talking about the best day ever. The best birthday ever. They also say this every birthday. "This was my best birthday yet." And ya know, I hope they say it again next year and the following. Because no matter how big, how extra, how many gifts, people or amount of food, none of it matters more than their smiles.
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