Tag Archives: birthday parties

Whose Birthday Party is It, Anyway?

Ah the birthday party! Organizing and coordinating the perfect party has become an obsession with the average family—at least it can seem that way. We want our child to have a great day, sure, but we may also get caught up in trying to give the standard party for our socio-economic level, meet neighborhood and peer group expectations, and make sure that our child doesn’t feel slighted. What can get lost in the whole quest for the perfect party is just exactly who the party is supposed to be for anyway! There can be so many special interest groups influencing … Continue reading →

Birthday Parties Can Be Fun

I know a lot of parents who dread birthday parties. They don’t like the noise, the expense, or the amount of presents. I will admit that I don’t either. I have been to some very out of control parties. Over the years the parties seem to get more and more expensive and hyper. My brother emailed a story of a family who spent over $2000 on a birthday party for their son, who was turning one! Birthday parties don’t have to break the bank though. And they can be fun though, for everyone. Or at the very least, they don’t … Continue reading →

Gloves, Hats, and Necklaces – Craft Ideas for Tea Parties

What’s a tea party without gloves? I have several ideas for decorating gloves, depending on the age group of your guests and how many adult helpers you have. If you are lucky you can sometimes find old dress gloves at thrift stores and garage sales. If you can’t find them or don’t want to glue things to almost antique clothing, gloves meant for keeping lotion on your hands, or those one size fits all stretch gloves that cost about a dollar work just fine too. Plain gloves are fine and will feel fancy to the children. But gloves with decorations … Continue reading →

Tea Party Birthday Parties

Tea party themed birthday parties can be loads of fun, and aren’t hard to put together. For invitations consider a teacup-shaped card with a string and tag attached mimicking a tea bag. You can write your party details on the tag and on the cup. Dressing up is the most fun part. You can invite your guest to come dressed up, or consider it a party activity. Position a mirror in the party room so the girls can see how they look. Provide boas, tiaras, and loads and loads of beaded necklaces and bracelets. Thrift stores and garage sales are … Continue reading →

Birthday Traditions

Since my twins turn ten tomorrow, I thought I’d share some birthday traditions. All day today I’ve been getting in my last nine year old hugs. I do this every year, it’s a fun excuse to hug and kiss the kids. I make a big deal out of their last whatever year old bath, and breakfast, and bedtime. It is just a bit of silliness that adds to the excitement of the coming birthday. And on birthdays I am quick to get in that first birthday hug and kiss, too. We’ve been busy with cakes today, too. I’ve always let … Continue reading →

Home Week in Review: September 24 – 30

We hope you had a great week and are enjoying your weekend. Here’s a quick look at the articles shared in the Home Blog this week: Odds and Ends: Birthdays and Tailgate Parties Here are a couple fun ideas for birthday parties and after party memories, and some tips for tailgating (Go Bears!). Home Chore List: Quarterly Cleaning Chores Filters, windows, storm windows, screens, light bulbs, candles, baskets, dust ruffles… what do all these items have in common? They need a good cleaning at least quarterly. Hot Home Style Trends From green flooring and kitchen counter tops to the great … Continue reading →

Odds and Ends: Birthdays and Tailgate Parties

Do you have any parties planned between now and the onset of the holidays? Maybe you do a Halloween or Harvest party. We’ll get into those soon, but for now, here are a couple of tips for some other types of fall parties. Birthday Party Idea Instead of a typical, disposable party tablecloth, cover a table with poster board. Have all the kids sign it, adding various notes and doodles. Your child will have a great memento of the party. Another option is to supply a smaller piece of poster board or card stock, one that will fit inside a … Continue reading →

The Husband’s Having a Birthday (And It’s a Biggun’!)

This Friday Wayne hits a milestone: 40. Here’s what I had envisioned for his big birthday weekend: • Sabotaging the house the night before with balloons, streamers, banners and whatever other birthday decorations I could come up with so he’d wake up to birthday chaos. • Making a special breakfast of some sort. • Making his favorite dinner. • Making sure to have whatever desert he wants after. (He’s got a sweet tooth almost as bad as mine. However, where I’m predictable when it comes to cakes –give me chocolate!—he’s not so easy. He’s got a ton of favorite desserts, … Continue reading →

Frugal Kids Birthday Parties: Ways to Save

Kids Birthday parties can get pretty expensive these days. It is not surprising to hear that the average child’s birthday party costs between $200 and $350! Many spend even more. But you really don’t have to spend a lot to provide a fun and memorable party. Here are some great ways to save. The location of your party can really save money. Forgo the expensive pizza places, the bowling alleys, the game rooms and other commercial theme places. Most of these places never provide enough (if any) of the food, drinks, etc. The least expensive option, of course, is to … Continue reading →

Frugal Kids Birthday Parties: Theme Products for Less

As my son’s six-year-old birthday party approaches, I am again reminded about how expensive it can be to have a kids birthday party. From decorations to food, and don’t forget about activities and goody bags, the expenses can all add up pretty quickly. I took a look at paper products, for example, that have a pirate theme on them. Not only are there the plates, cups, bowls and napkins available, but also centerpieces, goodie bags and more. Now these were generic pirates, not Pirates of the Caribbean or anything that has any sort of merchandising tie in at all. Yet, … Continue reading →